The Only Proof
by Hammachu
Summary: Mikasu was hidden within her clan as a child and had never shared a strong bond with anyone before. After a terrible incident, she is forced to wander in search of the answer to her problems. She is determined and willing to give her life for those dear to her, more specifically for the one who cared for her in ways she never imagined. O.C.
1. Alone

**A/N: This story contains vulgar language, violence, and may contain mild suggestive themes. ****I do not own, nor claim to own, Naruto or anything associated with it. I only own my this story and my O.C.**** On another note, I have decided to change the title of this composition from "The Answer is You" to "The Only Proof". I hope you enjoy.**

**P****rologue: The Only Proof**

I have many questions for the creator of this world-the one who invented life itself – if a being like that even exists. There are endless things I would ask, so many mysteries that I could unfold about myself and the galaxies in which we dwell.

Why would you want to create a shinobi world – a place ruled by hatred, suffering and the terror of all we are?

Why couldn't you create a world of peace instead of handing us the reigns to guide ourselves to that destination?

Why do the best of us die so young?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why _me?_

The answers to everything will turn up eventually, but for now it would be best not knowing. I cannot help myself but to wonder how long it will be until solutions are uncovered, and perhaps that day will never come; perhaps I'll die ignorant, but I don't care.

I don't care one bit.

_Why don't I care?_

All the answers should be in my grasp; but, unfortunately, I'm too ignorant to understand myself. I'm too deep in the hole to ever scale the walls and escape; I can't flee from my ignorance. It's one of my perks – my flaws that I can't change – but I'm fine with it. Being ignorant isn't always a liability because sometimes the answer is so shocking that it'll make you regret everything you've ever lived by. This world is full of unanswered questions; just add one more and no one will even stop to think about where it came from. My ignorance can be my strength, and when the world crumbles into the shards of humanity I'll be able to fight alongside my ignorance. As long as I don't allow it to narrow to a complete abyss of obscurity, I'll be just fine.

Am I the one to made sense of all the broken pieces and failed theories?

No, I can't; it just can't be me. I'm no pessimist, but being optimistic isn't easy. I am no savior, either, but I am persistent; I will never give up, or go down willingly. I am ruthless–relentless; I am Kitsuyuki Mikasu, the pride of the Kitsuyuki Clan. A measly, love-stricken couple broke away from the Yuki, and, through many trials and discoveries, created the Kitsuyuki. I guess one could consider us an advanced branch of the Yuki, but that advancement is put to waste when leaders are embodied by fear and worry. It seems that they had nothing but my protection in mind when they sacrificed themselves to keep me, the Kitsune Gate, alive. I was locked away to protect that once-in-a-century aptitude I possess. I was alone and isolated until that fateful day – the day that changed me and everything I thought I knew.

**Chapter One: Alone**

Thunder claps as the dark skies spiral like clouds of smoke. I pace aimlessly along the pathway with no destination in sight. The stormy winds dance across the untamed grass, lapping at the pale, green blades like the ocean tides. I stare downward, watching my black, open-toed boots intently. Small droplets a of rain appear on the ground, and soon enough the storm was in full onslaught.

I don't care, though_._

The rain hides my tears so I don't have to, the sound of the water slapping onto my skin washes away the agony resting on the surface, and the feeling of the brittle wind against my neck blows the painful memories to the back of my mind. Crying won't raise the dead, and they wouldn't want me to grieve over them and become a burden.

My wet, strawberry blonde locks brush against my bare, lower back, and my baggy pants cling to my thighs. I wipe over my navy armor and reposition at the bottom of my ribcage. The wrapping around my breast becomes soaked and loosened, but I don't feel like stopping to reset it, so I pull a navy cloak from my bag and cake it around myself for cover. Even my ninja tool pack is beginning to droop. I snatch it from my right hip and stuff it into my backpack; I rarely use metal kunai or shuriken, anyway.

The metallic case of my fan clanging at my heels frustrates me, along with the drenching rain. I tighten the grip on my fan to my back and exhale deeply. Lightning booms in the background, cracking its way across the dark sky. I grow wearier as the minutes pass, but I refuse to quit walking. Nightfall draws amidst me, and my limits are reached by the dawn of morning.

The tawny sun slowly ascends into the pale sky, gracefully illuminating the the air in shades of salmon and lilac. The few strips of clouds seem to float on the relaxing, morning breeze. My pace slows to a meager stammer, my arms drooping as a numbness surges about my muscles. I collapse on the dirt road, splayed like a dying starfish. Dusk flies up and sneaks down into my lungs. I don't bother to cough; I'd be wasting my energy. I try to recall my family in my last moments of consciousness, but I know I can't remember what I had never learned.

My vision bars away from me, my breathing steadying and tense body loosening. My mind is temporarily allayed of all my regrets, inducing an abyssal trance of darkness all around me. I can't think straight – hell – I can't think at all. Will I ever awake? If I do, I'll be at the mercy of this merciless world.

I'll have no knight in shining armor to rescue me.

Is this what it's like to be truly alone?

**A/N: It's really short, and I apologize. I reuploaded this chapter and the next one and I changed it quite a bit **– **actually I changed it quite a lot. I used to write in last tense, I don't really know why, but I didn't like that so I changed it to present. Please reread if you're a returning viewer and have the time; it'll make so much more sense if you do.**


	2. Nightmares

**A/N: There was an author note at the beginning of chapter one that talked about occurrences of language, adult themes, and violence. I most likely will not warn you like this about every chapter, so you can just assume that each chapter contains this kind of stuff. I rated it as it is for a reason.**

**Chapter Two: Nightmares**

I hear a faint barking in the distance, followed by the disheartened calls of a young man. Quick footsteps becoming louder as the seconds pass; my surroundings feel cold, and my muscles are weak and sore. The last thing I can recall is walking through a storm, but everything afterwards is a total blur. I attempt to peel my eyes open, but no light fills my field of vision. My arms fail to move even when I try my hardest to do something as little as quiver my fingers. My mind races with possible occurrences, but my body remains at rest.

I feel myself being shaken, a blurb of voice yelling something I can't understand. The noise is so loud – so painful – that I think my eardrums will burst; yet I still can't interpret what it is saying. Frantic barks and desperate words fill the atmosphere as my body is lifted into a more comfortable position. I am jostled a little as I lay, almost as if I am being carried in someone's arms.

"Hang on just a little longer!" Says a raspy, yet comforting voice. I can't help myself but to trust whoever was carrying me. I let a painful groan and try to hide my face into the figure's torso for comfort. "We're almost there!" I feel the pace quicken, a door slamming before my body is sprawled on a plush, surface. I am tucked under a warm blanket, and a cold cloth is placed on my forehead.

"It'll all be okay."

There is silence for a bit after that; all I hear are footsteps and a couple dog yelps instantly followed by a demanding "Sh." I wonder what was happening to me, but I give up on the question, knowing I will figure out when my body is willing to respond.

Time seems to warp as I lay here. I can't tell minutes from hours from days. Every once and a awhile a new cloth is set on my forehead, but no words are spoken as I rest.

The next thing I know, my eyelids respond, slowly sliding open. I am under a fluffy, white bedspread on what seems to be a queen mattress. I am encased by stalky, beige walls with countless pictures scattered all over them. I look to my right, seeing a glass sliding door covering the entire wall. My head averts straight ahead, and on the right side of the wall resides a huge, red dog bed. To the left of the animal bed is a white, wooden door. Carvings of all sorts are etched into the paint–words, pictures, and phrases that make no sense to me. A closet is to my left on the wall that the bed is backed against, and the the floor is scattered with chew toys, clothes, and other unknown objects. I notice my clothes are folded on the desk, and my bag and fan are laid against the wall.

A sharp pain kicks into my abdomen, making me want to hurl and crawl into a ball and cry. That's what I would've done, but I refuse to cry. To make it this far I must have been fighting some kind of battle – whether mental or physical, and to give in now would be putting all that to waste. I don't have the strength to get up, and I know I won't for a while. I soon find myself drifting asleep.

_The snow barrels from the sky and onto the soil, blanketing the ground in thick layers of cotton. Footsteps, bodies and red spatters taint the pure white snow with imperfection. The clang of kunai rings in my ears, and the screams of battle echo in the back of my mind._

_"It'll be alright, Lady Milady." A light-haired man comforts, opening the heavy, steel doors. "Just wait here until I come back."_

_"No–!" Aiyoshi raises his hand to silence me, his silver eyes boring into mine._

_"You are the Kitsuyuki's pride and joy. You need to be protected, and we will protect you will all our might." Aiyoshi feigns a smile and proceeds to exit the chamber._

_"You're lying! I know you are! Everyone here is afraid of me - they resent me!"_

_"Now, Mikasu -"_

_I don't need to be protected! I can defend myself!" I bellow, stopping him in his tracts._

_"I know you can, but you are only sixteen. They're here for you, and only you; henceforth, we cannot allow you to be taken. Our clan's strongest Forbidden Justu, and our Kitsune Gate are on the line."_

_"You never even told me what the fuck the Kitsune Gate even is! All youy did was show me our Forbidden Jutsu-"_

_"Hush. I probably shouldn't have taught the Forbidden Jutsu. It's forbidden for a reason, Mikasu, it's dangerous not only to the target, but to the user. You're still young, you don't need to know."_

_"But my birthday isn't that far off, and I'm a Chūnin!–"_

_"These attackers are formidable, and I cannot ensure our clan's survival; however, you will live, Mikasu. Our summoning partners know all about the Kitsune Gate, and they will tell you when you must know. Only I can open this door, and if I should perish, the only way to unlock it is from the inside. You understand all of this, correct?" I feel my stomach churning as he speaks, but I know that I can protect this clan from these attackers._

_"Yes, but please, Aiyoshi-sensei, let me fight! I can save-"_

_"As the head of this clan, you will stay in here until further notice. That's an order!" The doors slams shut before I can think of a convincing retort. I narrow my eyes at the door as I hear the lock click._

_"You bastard," I pout, plopping Indian-style onto the concrete floor. Tears gloss my eyes as I realize what is going to happen to my entire clan–the clan that believes confinement is my only protection. "I'm not just some damn prize: I'm a person, too."_

I feel a cold rag on my forehead, and I hear small whispers not too far away from me. It all must've been a dream–a terrifying reminder of the painful events of that recent day.

"She seems to be recovering well." A feminine voice coos, followed by a sigh from another being.

"Then when will I get my bed back?" I recognize this voice: it is the one who saved me and brought me here. I hear a displeased scoff followed by a loud ring of skin against skin. "What was that for!"

"Idiot! Don't be so rude! Now you head off to your mission, otouto!"

"Alright, oneechan." The boy dashes out of the room before I can open my eyes to see him.

I'm still not quite sure what is happening, and I cast my gaze to the woman sitting beside the bed. She has long, brown hair pulled into ponytail and two locks of hair framing her face. Her large, black eyes seem loving and full of care. She has a light shade of lipstick and one, red, fang-shaped marking on each of her cheeks. She sports a beige, long necked cloak and a pair of black, body conforming shorts.

The woman smiles as she looks me in the eyes, "Oh!" She jumps up from her seat and quickly sits back down, "You're awake!"

"W-Where am I?" I stammer, trying to sit up and shake off the blurred haze.

"You're in the Hidden Leaf." She hands me a glass of crystal clear water, and I thankfully accept, guzzling the entire cup in a matter of seconds. "What's your name?" I snap away from my trance enveloped by slaking my thirst and rub my head.

"Um, Mikasu. Kitsuyuki Mikasu."

"Kitsuyuki, eh?" I cringe, knowing that giving away my surname is a mistake. What if she is affiliated with my clan's attackers? What if she captured me? She places a hand on my forehead, a conflicted disposition on her features. "I'm surprised you didn't catch a cold... but I've never heard of that before." An allaying sigh escapes my lips. "You're not from here, are you?"

"I'm a shinobi descendant of Yukigakure." The woman's eyes widen, almost as if something terrible had sunken into her thoughts.

"Shinobi descendent of the Yuki? That means..." She pauses, her eyes falling to the ground and finding me again. "You're not authorized to be in the Leaf." She covers her gaping mouth and locks her eyes onto mine. "Come with me. We need to speak to the Hokage."

I take a change of clothes from my bag and change into them. I was rambled off to a tent on the other side of the village. The Leaf is much smaller than I had always imagined, and it seems weak–almost like it had been destroyed. The woman, Inuzuka Hana is her name, fills me in about a lot of things as we walk. I am honestly surprised that she trusts me–an outsider–enough to take me in and nurse me back to health.

"Hokage-sama?" Hana inquires through a shut cloth door.

"God, I hate this tent..." A voice mutters before sighing. "Come in." Hana slides the cloth to the side and holds it open for me, a worrisome smile on her face. The Hokage, a platinum haired woman, takes to her feet, slamming her open hands on her paper covered desk. Her green cloak sways at her side, and wrapping just below her chest emphasizes her already large breasts. Her long hair is spit into two, thin pigtails low on her head. "Who is that?" She asks with anger enriched hazel eyes. Hana doesn't flinch.

"This is the girl I told you about not too long ago." Hana says, "The one that my brother recovered."

"Turn around, girl." The blonde-haired woman commands. I narrow my pale mint eyes at her and, pursing my lips in a harsh glare, reluctantly spin myself around to expose the back of my white tee-shirt and midnight shorts. "Move your hair." I sweep my strawberry blonde hair to the side, showing the a navy Kitsuyuki crest, an intricate, nine spoked snowflake.

"That symbol..." She pokes her lips and rummages around in the files inside the desk drawers. "You are the Kitsuyuki princess?" I widen my eyes, dropping my hair and whirling around to face the woman. "Although it's an adopted title since you're not actually the heir of the Clan Head."

"_You!_ You aren't some kind of kidnapper are you?" I scream, throwing my fists across the air in a cutting motion. "Hana-san! You said you knew nothing of the Kitsuyuki!"

"Now you calm down! I'm just inspecting you! We mean no harm!" The big breasted woman retorts.

"Tsunade-sama, please. She has a personality similar to yours. If you yell at her or scare she won't cooperate." Hana chimes in, "I'm sorry I lied to you, Mikasu-san, but I needed to get you to Hokage-sama. I saw the crest on your back and Tsunade decided to look into it, and she uncovered your identity."

"My God!" I yell, "This place had been _awfully_ suspicious since the moment I woke up! And I don't even know how I got here!" Tsunade takes a deep breath, almost as if she is pushing down her rage.

"Like I said," The woman quietly speaks, sitting back down, "Please, calm down." I scratch my head in confusion and eerily scan my eyes across the room. She glances at her papers again. "You are given name: Mikasu, and surname: Kitsuyuki. Correct?" I open my mouth to yell, but the Hokage silences me. "Don't ask questions. Just answer." I nod hesitantly, giving in.

"Correct."

"I want you to tell me everything you remember about how you got to where you were found on the outskirts of Konoha."

I explain everything I can recall quickly, although it is not much. All I can remember is what I had seen in my dream and everything after passing out; there is a gap in my memories that I cannot remember. The Hokage shows no emotion toward me as I explain my plight–neither good, nor bad.

"What about your attackers? Where are they now?" She asks demandingly, rummaging through more papers on her desk.

"Dead."

"You said you couldn't remember anything about it, yet you say they're dead?"

"I-I.. I don't know how anything happened, but I know they are dead, and I know I am the only living Kitsuyuki member."

"So your clan was attacked, killed, and you, their strongest member, are the sole survivor, and you know they will not come after you again because they are deceased?"

"Yes." There is a long pause after my words sink in. Silence fills the room and occupies our minds.

"So what the _hell_ were you thinking, leaving all those bodies of your clan lying around?" Tsunade narrows her hazel hues, raising her voice.

"Just because I was brought here doesn't mean my personal actions are any of the Hokage's business."

"Nor does it mean you can disown me." Tsunade's voice softens, quite strangely I should add. "But now I have to send a squad of Anbu to clean the place up."

"That's not necessary." I interject. "Our clan's arctic fox summonings will take care of it."

"Arctic foxes-eh?" Twin add questions in a curious tone. "So is the myth really true? The one about your collaboration with animals with se-"

"Even I can't be sure, but I assume that I have something to do with that." I add.

"Well then, I guess we have no choice but to take you in and protect you, since there are probably still crooks out there who are after that connection." The Hokage bites her lip and casts her eyes to the ceiling, tilting her head uncertainly. "Although I'm not sure it's prudent of me to do this without consulting our elders, I offer you a chance to join the Leaf Village."

"I never said I wanted to be a citizen of Konoha." I look away from the two, a slight red at my cheeks.

"It's your own loss-"

"Well, if you insist, I guess I have no choice but to accept." I close my icy eyes, my lips curling up in a jubilant smile, and place a hand on my hip. Tsunade's reaction silently speaks 'Are you kidding me.' but I ignore it. Now that I think about it, it did sound pretty ignorant and dumb.

"We need to conceal your Kitsuyuki heritage, so you will go by..." She shuffles around with papers on her desk. "Reikoku Tsukami."

"Tsukami-eh? I'm fine with it."

Still, I have a chance at a new life - a normal life.

"Tsunade-sama, are you sure? Do you think she's being suspicious? I have nothing against her, in fact, I want her to become a citizen. But, she could be a spy from another village for all we know!"

"Hana, don't doubt me or the child. The five great nations are now in an alliance to fight against an uprising war; trust them more."

The process to becoming a citizen is long and tedious–much to tedious for my liking. I am forced to fill out confidential information about myself and my life, but I eventually I am granted access. I am given a Hidden Leaf hiate and the title of a Chūnin ranked Kunoichi of Konoha. Hana's family even allows me stay with them until I land on my feet here in the Leaf Village. Things are beginning to look up for me.

I curl up under the white blankets of the bed I had been sleeping in for the past days. It is warm and cozy in the Inuzuka home, and I ponder their generosity. Tsume-san, the mother of the house, seems to take a liking to my loud personality and offered me to move in permanently. I, of course, declined her offer; I didn't want to burden her family more than I already had, and she seems weird and all tsun no dere, anyway. I close my eyes and relax, allowing my body to slip into tranquility. It doesn't take long for my mind to drift into sleep, since my mentality now craves rest more than my physique.

_A loud bang comes from the steel door hours after Aiyoshi-sensei had left me. The lock clicks, and I pace to the door and let the tall metal slab slowly swing open. I clench my fists over my heart, knowing that the only way the door would open would be by the death of Aiyoshi. I know what has to be done. I have to avenge my sensei–my sensei's son, my clan, everyone who was lost in the furious war._

_I remove my shirt, exposing the wrapping around my breast and grab my navy armour. I slide my arm through the one strap at the top and fix my black body-fitting shorts. Sliding a black glove up to mid-bicep on each arm, I apply wrapping at the top of the gloves and on my right thigh. I strap a kunai pack on my thigh and a small medical pack to my arm and put on my black, open toed boots. I scurry to the back of the vault, reaching the money and supplies. I fill my backpack with cash, changes of clothes and other essential things that I would need after I left, dropping it by the doorway so I could come get it later. As I walk to the door, I snatch my fan off the wall and strap it to my back._

_I quickly sign the hand seals for bird, horse, dog, and rabbit and activate my clan's hidden justu, Ice Release: Ice Crystals, which allows me to make ice or snow from thin air. I materialize a kunai made of extremely cold, hard ice in my palm and hold it cautiously as I exit the steel chamber. Bodies of my fellow clansmen and foes line the hallways, blood staining our white, pristine walls. I peek over the corner, apparently being spotted by one, idiotic opponent. He charges at me head on, throwing a punch as he speeds towards my body; to which he so imprudently earned himself an icy kunai to the abdomen. The man spurts blood from his mouth as I sweep his legs down and punch him across the face. I stare at his body, and check his pulse and breathing; it seems that both had ceased._

_I form another kunai and pace until I reach a wooden hallway open to the outdoors, finding a fiery orange haired man with piercing white eyes. He holds a sword cloaked in blood and appears to be the leader of the attackers. He has several men around him, cheering and saying things about being victorious in the battle. Snow slowly descends from the grim, gray skies as I stealthily form a few more ice kunai and launch them at the men surrounding the leader. They all pierce into their target, giving me enough time to wield the hand seals for the Summoning Justu._

_I press my hand onto the ground, smoke arising and five, large arctic foxes appear from the dust. Each of my summonings clamp their jaws around one of the men, leaving me enough time to deal with their leader._

_"You sly little bitch." The orange-haired man scoffs, running his fingers through his frizzy locks. "But you're actually the one we're after, so thanks for making it easier for us." Sheathing his sword, he makes various seals–much too fast for my eye–and spits fire from his mouth toward me. I lunge out of the path of his attack and swiftly sign for Water Release: Water Drowning. I aim for his figure and spew water from my mouth; however, he dodges and kicks with aim at my head. I block by crossing my forearms, holding the position in effort to keep from being stricken my his blow, and push him backwards. He quickly bounces back with a punch, which I halt with my palm, twisting his arm. He cries out in pain as I increase the rotation of his arm, slowly ripping it from its socket. A terrorizing snap echos in my ears, signalling me to stop the pressure. He grasps his shoulder, his injured arm falling limp to his side. "Why you... now I can't use hand seals!"_

_"And you should already know better than to challenge a Kitsuyuki to Taijustu." I charge at him, falling back on my left hand for support and using my right leg to sweep under his body and twist around. He jumps in retaliation, almost slicing his sword on my exposed back as I whirl back to the front; however, I jump backwards onto my hands and lock the blade between my heels, flinging it from his grasp. Taking the sword into my own hands, I grab the man's shirt and hold the blade his neck. "You are the leader of this attack on my clan, correct?" The man closes his eyes and shakes his head, his Adam's apple bobbing._

_"N-No.. he's inside searching for you." I sigh, turning around. "Please kill me." He quivers, falling to the ground. "I never wanted to attack but Boss threatened my family; put me out of my misery, I beg of you." He beseeches, his legs twitching. I nod in understanding, but being forced to fight didn't mean he had to say such foul things to me. Materializing a few more icy daggers, I slashed his sword through his own chest, watching the light leave his eyes and feeling the heat drain from his body._

_"Thank you..." I mutter, thinking to close his open eyelids. I pull back before my fingers reach his face, shaking my head. It sickens me that some people have the nerve to think of death as peaceful sleep. Death is so much more–so much different–than sleep: terrifying, painful, and permanent._

_I turn my attention to the five that my foxes had kept busy. They appear bloody, but not quite beaten yet, but they seem to have removed the ice kunai from their bodies, breathing heavy with a finger pointed at me._

_"Get her!" They screech, stammering toward me at a surprisingly fast pace. I stay at my post and wait for the first man's kick it get into my range. I take to my left, avoiding the said kick, and ram the blade from the orange-haired man's sword into his neck. I cast the body, along with the sword, aside. He falls back and whispers a few words before I fling an icy kunai through his chest. Another man throws a punch as the others close in, and I grab his arm and swing his body around, knocking the other men down. They seem to only be Genin, maybe the first I fought a Chūnin, but they aren't very experienced. I unsheath my fan and whip a strong, piercing gust toward them, slicing their bodies up even more than I already had. It seems that that had done it, and they now are among the deceased from blood loss._

_I slide the fan back into a stick and sign once again for bird, horse, dog, and rabbit, the seals for my Ice Crystals justu. I form a blade on my right forearm and cautiously enter the main house in search of their leader. It doesn't take long to find him in our largest corridor, his blaring red hair and white eyes boring onto me._

_"There you are, Princess." He snarls, "It seems that all my men and yours and were taken out in this attack and only we remain. Let's see who will come out victorious, now, shall we?"_

_He signs for a justu, spitting small flames onto shuriken he had thrown and pulling a flaming sword from his belt. I use my Water Drowning justu to stop the attack and charge forward. He slices his sword down, meeting the ice blade I had recently made on my forearm. I tremble under the opposing force, noticeable sweat dripping from both of our brows, and we were both forced backward, my ice shattering from the heat onto the floor. I pull a metal kunai from my pack to disorientate seven more flaming shuriken, but two managed to cut into my thighs, leaving burns around the bleeding, cut skin. I apply pressure to the area to ease the pain, but in my weakness he manages to connect a punch to my cheek, harshly sending me backwards. I attempt to harness the force from the blow by tumbling into several back handsprings, but I still feel more than enough of the sting from his punch._

_"Give up now! You're no match for me!" The man growls, white eyes narrowing at me. I wipe the blood from my mouth and charge toward him, hurdling into a front hand spring as I draw near. Between flipping from my hands to my feet, I smite my right foot onto his neck as I land. The man falls to the ground, coughing up blood from the direct hit to his vital artery._

_"I'm not just me," I snarl in pure hatered, my eyes narrow and my eyebrows lowerharshly. "I'm the embodiment of my whole clan–the ones you fucking slaughtered." Taking advantage of his time while down, I sock my right fist up to his jaw, uppercutting toward the tall ceiling. Blood drips to the floor, as well as splattering onto my skin as I continue to beat the leader with invidious Taijustu._

_An intense heat suddenly surrounds him in a sphere–a barrier–of flames; I have no choice but to get away from the flames, or else he'd burn my flesh. A faint green light begins to emanate from within, painful grunting pulsing in my ears. He is healing himself. At this rate, he might be able to recuperate enough to defeat me. I try to shoot the flames with water, but they regenerate too fast for me to put them out. Eventually the flames die because he can no longer support them, exposing the still injured man inside._

_He's too weak to heal and protect himself at once._

_I quickly sign for horse, boar, tiger, ram, and dragon, activating my own personally developed justu, Tokesaki. A silent, sky blue, icy orb forms in my palm, the temperature eventually developing to extremely cold temperatures. The stable sphere fades to a freezing blob of aura, cloaking itself around my hand. The emanation moves like a decay, eating away at my flesh, yet it oozes and pulses like a slime of earth. It will freeze and break off and any living thing it touches; hence, the long sleeved gloves I wear on my arms. I have tried to adapt to be somewhat resistant to extreme cold to prevent backfire from this jutsu, but the gloves are there just in case._

_Saying that I've successfully completed this jutsu even once would be an overstatement, espically since I'm using second stage._

_I lunge toward him at great speed, but instead of hitting him in the chest, he almost dodges and I scrape his right bicep. The flesh at the contact point seems to be eaten away, freezing the skin, blood, and muscle into thin, fragile layers. The layers easy chip off, leaving a inch wide hole all the way through his arm. He growls in pain, blood smearing out of his wound, and signs for another justu. Fire comes forward from his mouth into the shape of an enormous dragon speeding towards me. I have no time to react, the dragon encompassing me with it's fiery rage for a few seconds, but I am then able to escape the wrath before I catch complete fire. I activate my Water Drowning jutsu and spray the fire vigorously until it is out. The man bombards me with various fire style jutsu and other attacks until I can't take it anymore; I have to use the Forbidden Jutsu._

_I form two kunai out of ice, pulling a roll of white cloth from my bag, and use them to slice two long slips of it. I tie the cloth around the donut shaped circle at the and of the handle of the kunai, the extra cloth falling loose, and charge toward my opponent with one in each hand. I grip each by the tips of the cloth and whirl them around lilke the blades of a helicopter. I grip the handles as he meets the attack with his sword, pushing against my force with equality. I cry out in desperation as I throw him backward, going beyond my limits. I hold the cloth once more and launch both of the kunai into his body , quickly signing boar, ram, horse, tiger, monkey, and lastly bird to initiate the forbidden justu, Ice Release: Absolute Onslaught._

_The man freezes in his tracks, body trembling as he falls straight onto his face. The flames he had summoned freeze solid, disintegrating into the ice as the kunai glow in a bright light, blasting his body with hyperboreal air. His body temperature atrociously declines, reaching absolute zero, the point at which all atomic movement ceases. No vibrations can produce heat, no molecular bonding occurs, no cells can undertake division, no organs can function, not a single muscle can move. His blood freezes over in his veins and arteries, causing them to augment in size and eventually rupture into frozen, red shards within his body. The force from the miniature explosion of his passageways causes small fragments to protrude from his skin, snow-like blood leaking through the holes until he is almost completely covered in the claret powder._

_I fall to my knees, breathing heavy and tears glossing my eyes. I stare at my crimson doused hands, my vision blurring. My body is severely burnt, and gashes create a cloak of blood. My wavy, strawberry blonde hair drapes around me as my hands fall to the floor, my back arching. I close my pale mint orbs and shake my head, delicate beads of tears connecting to the floor._

_"I __**killed**__ him..." I breathe, tears drizzling out of my eyes and mixing with the puddle of sweat beneath me, "I have avenged you, but I.." I prod my nails into the wooden floor, indentations forming from my pent up emotions. "I did it against my own ideals." I stand, coughing a large amount of blood up from the toll of using the jutsu without 'special help', and collapse weakly back to the floor. I couldn't have used the full jutsu; it was exactly what he wanted me to do. I rise to my feet one again, wiping my eyes, and take in the damage of his body._

_"I __**hate**__ this god damned justu!"_

_**A/N: Heyo, if you couldn't tell this is a reupload. I changed up a few things to make sense of the story. Thanks for readin', the next chappie will be up soon! :)**_


	3. Inuzuka Kiba

_**A/N: Just fyi, normal sized arctic foxes are a little smaller than a husky, but bigger than a domestic cat with a fluffy white winter coat and a grow a shorter white coat dotted with gray in the summer. Summer coats can range from pure white, to pure gray and everything in between including slate and and a light charcoal color.**_

**Chapter Three: Inuzuka Kiba**

"Kitsuyuki Mikasu, you're being taken into Anbu custody." I slowly blink my eyes open, taking in the darkness around me, and eye two suspicious figures standing over me. Had everything just been a dream? Is this even reality?

"Excuse me?" I mutter, lifting one eyebrow and shaking my cranium, "I think you've got the wrong gal."

"You heard me, you're coming with us." One of the two breathes, extending a hand for me to grasp. I push the covers off of my torso and sit up in the bed. I pinch my thigh for a reality check, and my nerves respond to the pain like they would normally.

"And what if I don't...?"

"Look, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way." I narrow my eyes and reluctantly take his hand, and he pulls me over his shoulder, carrying me like a sack of potatoes.

"Hey!" I bang my fists on his back as he walks out the front door of the Inuzuka's home, making no response. I sigh, putting my middle and pointer finger on each hand together into the shape of a cross, and use my shadow clone to yank the real me off of his back. "I can walk, you know?" I yell, causing him to grab my wrist and drag me along the path.

We soon enter the the Hokage's building and take a number of confusing turns until we come to a dark room. Before me stand the Hokage, an Anbu, and a blonde haired man, all stiffly staring at me. I gulp as my eyes meet the thing I was being ushered to: a lump of machinery in the center of the room. The middle is pried open, revealing a human-shaped cubby that I am forced to sit into. The metal shell is snapped shut, encasing all but my head that protrudes from the peak.

"Inoichi." Tsunade breathes, placing her right hand on her hip. The blonde haired man nods and moves toward me.

"Tsunade! What the hell's going on!" I cry frantically, looking all about the small room. Tsunade closes her eyes and bites her lip, taking a deep breath, silent as a snake.

"I am Yamanaka Inoichi. Tsunade informed me all about you, please do not be alarmed." Inoichi presses his hand against my forehead, and my consciousness seems to fade. I close my eyes, my body numbing, and my muscles relax involuntarily.

I jolt awake, the chirping melodies of the birds outside the window and the rays of the pale morning sun making laps around the room. I sigh, standing up from the bed, and stretch before changing out of my pajamas and going into the bathroom to brush my teeth and fix my hair.

"Morning, Mikasu-chan." Hana says from behind the counter as I quietly enter the kitchen. A long French braid sways behind me, adjacent to my black tee shirt and shorts. "Sleep well?"

"I'm Tsukami now, you know that!"

"Have any spooky nightmares?" Tsume chimes, her back hunched, and wiggles her fingers for a creepy effect.

"Mama," Hana scolds, turning her back to attend to her omelets, "You're creeping her out."

"Oh come on! I was just joking around with her!" Tsume rubs her knuckles over my scalp, tangling my hair. Hana rolls her eyes, handing me a plate of omelettes as I swat Tsume away. I pour a glass of lemonade from the fridge and sit down with my breakfast, trying to erase all the memories from last night from my mind.

"Anyway, Kiba should be coming home from his mission today, so you can finally meet him." Hana sparked an emotion of excitement in me; I look forward to meeting him. After all, he is the one who brought me here, so he basically gave me a new life.

"You're right, Hana!" The mother yells, "He can help Tsuki-chan move into her apartment!" I give a sheepish laugh, closing my eyes in an embarrassed smile and rubbing the back of my neck.

"No, no. He doesn't have to, I wouldn't want to burden him anymore than I already have. I mean, I already stole his room for two weeks while I was unconscious. I don't even have much stuff to move, anyway!" I admit, taking a small bite of my eggs.

"Yes, yes! It's no problem at all! He's be happy to help!" The spiky-haired brunette belches, "I bet he's got nothing better to do!" I sigh, knowing that Tsume won't listen to me, and smile.

"Alright, Tsume-san." I utter as a light knocking comes to the door. Hana rushes to the door, her smile growing as she seemed to recognize the pink haired woman standing outside.

"Sakura-san," Hana greets, "what brings you here?"

"Is Reikoku Tsukami here? Summons from Tsunade-sama." The girl, Sakura is her name, says, peeking inside, "Are you Reikoku-san?" Her emerald green eyes meet mine, sending shivers down my spine. What could that old lady, Tsunade, want with me? She already summoned for me in the middle of the night to do... who knows what! I can't even remember what happened!

"What does she want?" I narrow my eyes at Sakura, a frown darkening my complexion.

"I have no clue, but she wants to see you," her tone stiffens, her cold eyes glaring at me, "Now." I grudgingly rise from my seat and say my goodbyes to Hana and Tsume, soon exiting the house and taking a position by Sakura. She lowers her shoulders and seems to relax as we start walking toward the Hokage's building.

"Sorry about the tone from earlier, but Tsunade-sensei is impatient and I already made it to the Inuzuka residence late." Sakura turns to face me; her eyes seem much warmer than before.

"Wait a second... "Tsunade-sensei"?" I raise an eyebrow and bore my aquamarine eyes into hers, "Don't tell me you're her student!"

"And what's wrong with that?" Sakura places ha hand on her hip, increasing her pace to match mine.

"Tch, she just seems so brutal." I confess, shrugging. We walk inside the newly built, dome-shaped building and quickly make our way up to the Hokage's corridor. Sakura knocks on the door and swings it open, the platinum-haired woman with her elbows tapping on her desk sitting irritably in the back.

"Ah, there you are, Sakura, Mikasu." She ceases the tapping and opens her hazel hues as Sakura paces to the the right of Tsunade. I glare at the woman, feeling uncomfortable with her addressing me with my real name.

"Don't be so casual with me after what happened last night, and don't think I've _forgotten_ either." I growl, barring my teeth at the woman. The problem thing is: I _don't _remember what happened.

"Aha!" Tsunade throws her head back in laughter, her expression quickly fading to a scowl. "Oh, don't get me started on that. It's not like I didn't trust you, but the village elders arranged that, Mikasu." I scan her attitude for sarcasm, but none seemed to reside; surprise, surprise.

"Don't call me that with other people around!"

"Sakura already knows, calm down." Tsunade breaths, glancing at her associate.

"Then what was going on!"

"Inoichi searched your memories for intel about you to be sure everything you had told us is the truth." I turn to exit, peeling the door open, "But, that's not why I summoned you." I freeze and whirl around, my braid flipping around like a whip, and frown.

"What, Tsunade?" I mumble, rolling my eyes. The Hokage's stare deepens, resentment curling the ends of her lips down. Sakura seems to jump out of her skin, almost as if she is concerned for me.

"Just because you don't seem to _trust_ me yet doesn't mean you can _disrespect_ me." She rises to her feet, obviously almost blowing her temper, and slams her fists onto her desk, cracks appearing in the wood. "I _am_ the Hokage!" I narrow my eyes at the woman, my lips zipped. "Mikasu, you're a lot like me and if you would only open up then I feel like we could become friends, got it? Let's start by adding the honorifics to each other's names." I sigh and purse my lips.

"Tch, don't act like my mother!" I yell, pointing my finger angrily at the Hokage. Tsunade opens her mouth to retort, but is cut off by the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Um, Shishyou? May I ask a quick question?" Tsunade sits down and closes her eyes, taking a deep breath, and nods. "Why are you going so far to make amends with this girl?"

"Sakura, she reminds me of yourself before I tutored you in medical ninjustu. More importantly, and I already said this, she's a spinning image of myself: stubborn and passionate - tsundere." She opens her hazel eyes and looks at me pleadingly. "Let's try this again." Another exasperated sigh escapes my lips, and I relax my body in defeat.

"Why did you call me here, Tsunade-_sama_?" I say through a clamped jaw. "Do you need me?" Tsunade closes her eyes once more and gives a victorious half-smile.

"Why yes, I do." She pulls an envelope from her desk, "You have a mandatory assignment for tomorrow."

"Tsunade-baachan!" A yellow-haired boy bursts through the door, "You called?"

"_Baachan?_" I laugh, "Just how old are you, lady?"

The boy turns to face me, leaning in with his mouth shielded from Tsunade, "She's a dinosaur." He whispers oh-so-quietly. Sarsasm. That was sarcasm. Sakura takes a deep breath and charges toward the newcomer.

"Naruto, idiot!" The boy's crystalline, blue eyes shoot open as he sprints out the door, Sakura, her fist clamped tightly, in tow. I take the envelope from Tsunade's hand and tuck it in my pocket.

"Baachan is such a more fitting honorific, don't you think, Tsunade-baachan?" I giggle, giving a cheeky, close-eyed smile. "Later!" I bolt out the door despite Tsunade's raging calls after me; I actually kinda like the old woman, now. I jog to the Inuzuka's home and enter quietly, eyeing the brown-haired boy in Tsume's arms.

"Tsuki-chan! What did Hokage-sama want?" Tsume inquires, putting her arm around the boy as he tries to pull away.

"Ma-" He squirms from his mother's grasp, stopping when he notices me in the room. "_Ma?_"

"Oh, right! Tsukami, this is my son, Inuzuka Kiba!" She pushes the Kiba toward me, one hand placed on the nape of his neck. Tousled, brown locks frame his grin, showing off his canine-like teeth. He sports the same red, fang-like markings as his mother and sister, and he wears a black, zipped, formfitting jacket and black pants with sandals to match. Dirt shrouds his figure, probably because he had just returned from a week long mission.

"Yeah, I'm Kiba." Slit-like pupils stare at me, the holder extending an arm. "You can call me Kiba, Kiba-kun, Kiba-san, Inuzuka-san, I don't really care that much, though."

"Reikoku Tsukami." I give a smile and take his hand, shaking it softly. "You can call me whatever you like."

"Ruthless? Your surname means ruthless?" His eyes trail over my physique, slowly and antagonizingly. "You don't seem so ruthless to me."

"I can show you if you'd like." I place a hand on my hip and roll my neck, popping it.

"Kiba, you're going to help Tsukami-chan move into her apartment today." Tsume demands, a perky tone brooding in her voice.

"It's alright, Tsume-san, I just have a couple of boxes of new clothes and bedding I need to move, that's all." I inform, a soft smile curling my lips. "Actually, Tsunade gave me an assignment that I should prepare for." I held up the missive and wiggle it in the air like you would a treat for a puppy. I pace into Kiba's room and make the bed, throwing my backpack and fan on and grabbing the boxes as I leave the room.

"Kiba, get Akamaru from the yard and help her." Tsume lightly flicks him on the head, forcing him towards me. Kiba scowls at his mother, reluctantly going into the kitchen and sliding the glass door leading into the yard open, and quickky returns to the living room with a large, white canine. I smile, setting down the boxes, and sign for the summoning jutsu. I bite my thumb, pressing my hand against the floor, and a jutsu formula appears at the contact point. Smoke arises, and from the dust one large arctic fox and two normal sized appear.

"You summoned, kit?" The large one spoke, pure blue oculars glancing around the room. Kiba's eyes widen, staring at the foxes with awe.

"Are those..? Dogs?" He inquires, pointing at the white coated foxes in living room.

"Who's the imbecile who can't tell a dog from an arctic fox?" The gray pelted, smaller one speaks, resentment in her cerulean eyes.

"Foxes? Foxes!? You look exactly like Akamaru!" Kiba pets his companion, and Akamaru barks, staring intently at my summoned foxes. "The big one's only a little smaller than him!"

"Pointed ears? Long, fluffy tail? Slender physique?" The small fox retorts, whipping her speckled, gray, furry tail through the air, "We look nothing like that thing."

"Hush, Mirami." Kisura, the large, slate dotted fox, spoke, silencing her insolent student. "We're here to serve, not pester. Just look at your brother, Ryou; he's respectful." Kisura nuzzles her completely white-pelted underling, Ryou.

"You always compare me to that ninny." Mirami rolls her crystalline eyes and shrugs. "At least I'm stronger."

"Enough, sister." Ryou breathes, "Don't be a _fucking_ pester."

"Hey, hey..," I point at the siblings in a scolding tone. "Tsume-san, Kiba, I think I've got this under control." I pet Mirami and Ryou, trying to calm down the siblings. "Thank you for letting me stay here, I'll be sure to visit often." I thank them, placing a box on Kisura's back. I push the two siblings together, each of them being too small to carry a box alone, and place one in the middle of their backs. Positioning the last box in my hands, Tsume opens the door for me and I take my leave.

"Tsukami!" Kiba calls from behind, a bark echoing. He catches up and walks beside me and my foxes, Akamaru trailing by my summonings. "I have to report to Lady Tsunade, anyway, so I might as well walk with you until you get to your apartment." He gives a close-eyed smile and reaches his arms out, "Here, let me take that." I transfer the box to him, letting a soft smile form as a thank you. "So, where ya from?"

I look away, attempting to think of something to say, "Um, I come from a small cottage in the mountains. I didn't belong to a village."

"I'm guessing you're a shinobi, though?" He motions to my summonings, "But I've never heard of a ninja fox summoning before."

"I'm the only one left who uses this." I look at my feet, trying to come up with more to add. "My parents discovered them and taught me all about ninjustu before my mother passed."

"Oh... I'm sorry for bringing that up, then." Kiba, looking sheepish, places one hand in his pocket and the other on the nape of his neck.

"Nah, it's alright; I'm over it. My dad became abusive after my mother's passing so I ran away." I shrug; this lie turned out to be a pretty good cover up for my identity. "And then that's when you found me on the road that day."

"You know, this whole 'saving you' thing sure was a hassle." Kiba admitts, placing his other hand in his pocket.

"I didn't ask for you to save me," I look him in the eye, lowering my eyelids for a moment and examining his expression. His lips are stuck in the middle of a smile and a frown, eyes brightly open and a small, rosy color residing on his face. My now hot, freckled cheeks light up with a smile. "but you did... and I have to thank you for that." I glance beside me, seeing the familiar tall apartment building. "Oh, this is the place." I move the box from his arms to mine, wiping my hands on my black tee shirt before taking it. "I guess I'll see you around." By this time his mouth is relaxed and almost open, eyes still wide with only a small amount of blush still warming his face.

I whirl around and begin to walk towards the building, my long, strawberry blonde French braid swaying behind me.

"Oi, Tsukami?" I turn my head, stopping in my tracts, and make a small humming noise. "What's with the snowflake on your back?" I internally shriek, panicking, and run my mind wild of what to say.

"Oh, um, my mother was from the Yuki Clan." I continue walking, a relieved sigh escaping my lips. If Ayioshi-sensei hadn't forced me to try Improv acting as a child, I wouldn't have been able to pull that off so smoothly; however, I wasn't really lying about that part, the Kitsuyuki being a branch descending from the Yuki. I'm glad that I played it so well so that it wouldn't be suspicious to use any of my Ice Release jutsu.

"I'll see ya later!" The brown-haired Inuzuka shouts, hopping onto the back of his companion. I raise my right arm up, balancing the box on my left and waved goodbye, still making my way toward the building.

"He seems like a kind young man." Kisura coos, gentle, white paws padding up the stairwell. "But I don't get why you lied all about your past."

"We decided to keep our traps shut while you were talking, but just know that we could've exposed whatever you were trying to do." Mirami rasps, struggling to continue teamwork with her brother as they carried the box up the steps.

"I'll explain once we get inside." We had gone up quite a few stairwells before we reach the top floor. I search around a bit before finding apartment number 203. I insert the key, unlocking the door, and pull the old, wooden door open.

The room is slightly dusty, but it isn't old enough that I can't clean in less than an hour. Directly across the room from the front door is a bed horizontal to the wall and a small, round, low table in the center of the room. The kitchen on the right is connected to the living space–no wall separating them–and the bathroom door in the far right corner of the room leads into a small bathroom complete with a toilet, sink, and shower. A small closet with a door on the left gives me a good amount of space to store my clothes.

I set the boxes on the table and begin to unpack the clothes, putting them on hangers and hooking them into the closet. After I finish with the clothes, Kisura, Mirami, and Ryou help me put a square, furry, white rug under the table, leaving two feet of sitting space leftover on each side of the table. We spread the pure, white sheets over my bed and topped it with a navy and white floral comforter with maroon accents, and tidy up the house to the point of it being a livable space. After unpacking everything to the last box, I plop onto the bed, sitting Indian style, as the foxes narrow their oceanic hues in my direction.

"Oh, that's right." I chuckle, brushing a golden lock that had come loose from my French braid out of my eyes. "A short time ago, the Kitsuyuki was attacked and brutally murdered, leaving me as the only survivor. I killed all the attackers and left our residence, wandering amongst the world, and eventually passed out from exhaustion. Kiba, the boy you just met, found me, and his family took me under their wing until I awoke. I assumed the name of Reikoku Tsukami and decided to move in here."

Concern frames Kisura's face as she sits her rear on the carpet, extending her paws as she sprawled her limbs against the soft fabric. "What about the bodies? Someone could steal them and dissect them to steal the Kitsuyuki's power. Someone could easily infiltrate the house and discover Namiko Glacier, as well."

"How the _hell_ could you allow everyone to die!?" Mirami calls out, shaking with anger. "Those people weren't only _your_ family, but also ours!"

"Don't you think I'm upset, too!? Aiyoshi-sensei locked me up in the iron barricade and wouldn't allow me to fight." I heave a low sigh and continue to speak, "They were dead before I even got out of the cage."

"That gray-haired scum.." Mirami whispers, "I'll miss them... so much..."

Silence resides for a minute before I have the will to speak up.

"Anyway, guys, I have to go shop for a little bit of furniture, so I'll have to undo the summon." I wave goodbye and hold up my pointer and middle finger with my pinky and ring finger circling to meet my thumb.

"Summon me anytime if you get lonely." Mirami giggles, wagging her puffy, fox tail. "There won't be anything to do in the clan these days, I guess..." I nod and cut the surge of chakra from the summoning jutsu, a flash of smoke carrying them through space time.

I grab my keys and my backpack before slipping out the door and all the way down the stairwells to the store. I buy a plastic cabinet to store undergarments and socks and a mini cabinet to put in the bathroom for bathroom items. Simple items like shower curtains and soaps, paper towels, cloth towels, a few pots and pans, and even plates and silverware fill my cart as I stroll through the large shop. I even put in an order with a seamstress to work on a shirt I could wear on missions. After checkout, my total tallies to a surprisingly large number–one that would almost clean out the money I had brought with me.

I rummage through my bag as I exit the store, pulling out a scroll I had brought from the Kitsuyuki storage, and open it to reveal a pre-made summoning scroll. I infuse my blood stamp and chakra, sealing the items–excluding the cart–within the scroll. Rolling up the scroll and placing it in my bag, I begin to wander about the village in search of a quick food joint.

"Welcome to Ichiraku." An elderly man greets as I duck under the cloth door, taking my seat in the corner.

"One miso chicken ramen with extra fishcake, please." Wonderful aromas soothe my nose as I relax in the stool, almost drooling over the delectable smells. Before I know it, my ramen arrives, sending more tantalizing scents into the atmosphere.

"Miso chicken, extra naruto fishcake." The cook smiles, handing me a bowl of steaming noodles. I devour it heartily, savoring the delicious fishcake and broth, and toss the payment onto the table.

"Thank you." I coo, dropping extra cash as a tip. The cook nods, grinning, and returns to his kitchen duties. I quickly make my way home, the moon emanating a bright aura–outshining all the stars that delicately dot the jet-black sky.

Inserting the key into the lock, I push the door open and snatch the envelope from the table, plopping my body onto the bed. I unwrap the wire that encircles the the button and remove the letter from the case.

_Welcome new Konohagakure shinobi,_

_Reikoku Tsukami, a transferred chūnin ranked kunoichi of the Leaf, must undergo tests to acquire statistics of her battle strength so that she can be assigned missions that will match her given abilities. The mandatory tests will be conducted on the following date: July 1st, 2014. Her attendance is required; there can be no makeup dates for these data collecting tests._

_Thank you,_

_Hokage Tsunade and Staff._

I sigh and place the note on my table, taking the storage scroll from my backpack. I fuse my chakra with the scroll, summoning the items from the grocery store beside my bed. I put the dishes in the cupboard, the utensils in a drawer, paper towels on a holder, cloth towels on a rack in the bathroom and a hand towel in the kitchen on the oven handle. The few pots and pans go in a cabinet in the counter, and I put a small, plastic cabinet in the clothes closet and put my undergarments and socks in the drawers. The maroon shower curtain with white vines and clear liner hangs over the shower, and toilet paper resides beside the toilet. I fill the shower and both sinks with soaps and lotions and put away the rest of the countless items I bought before getting ready to head to sleep.

I fall into bed, cupping the linen and comforter around my frame, and snuggle into a pillow, my arms draped around it. I drift to sleep quickly and quietly, no second thoughts about anything that had happened that day.


	4. Bathhouse Mischief

_**A/N: School is starting soon so expect a longer wait for the next chapter. :) To see a full**_

_**body shot of Mikasu, go to . .**_

_**Warning: This chapter contains slight gore, adult language, and partial nudity.**_

**Chapter Four: Bathhouse Mischief**

_"A–Aisuru-kun..." The name trembles on my lips–__**his**__ name, the boy whom I had admired with all my heart for so long. I stare down at the blood dappled body of a toned young man. His muscles are taut with overexertion. Platinum hair wires his cheekbones , his peculiar dark blue eyes locking onto mine._

_"Mikasu-cha–" His raspy voice morphs into a jagged cough, crimson trickling from his pale lips. "I–I.." The coughing returns, his back shaking violently with two kunai prodding at his spine, as he tries to sit up. I place a hand on his shoulder and lend support._

_"Stop, Aisuru, you're going to hurt yourself." My voice wavers, tears making my aquamarine eyes appear glassy. He places a hand on my cheek, weakly caressing the tension from my face with his thumb, and smiles._

_"It's too late for that." He laughs, barely able to choke the words out. "I'm already injured." He wipes the tears from my eyes, still smiling. "Don't cry, Mikasu.."_

_I rummage through my bag and grab a small medical pack and begin to wrap his wounded arm. "Here, let me tend your wounds."_

_"It's too late for me, as well." He coughs, splotches of blood appearing on the floor. "I can feel the poison racing through me, Mikasu." The more tears that spill from my eyes, the more he casts away with his calloused fingertips._

_"I–I can still save yo–" He leans closer to my face, and his breath tickling against my neck leaves me in silence._

_"I love you, Mikasu, and I have for the longest time." His lips inch closer to mind, just brushing them before he falls, smearing a drop of blood onto my own lips. The hand that once held my cheek falls limp to his side, and his body collapses sideways, his fingertips brushing across my face for the first and last time. I clench my hand over my mouth to stifle my sobs and pull it away to see the traces of red from him._

_He loved me._

_Yet it took him until his dying breath to share it._

_I but I didn't love him._

_And it took me until his dying breath to realise it._

_..._

_**It only took a second to believe that I wasn't the only survivor, and it took less than a second to shatter everything I've ever believed in.**_

I awake quickly, jumping out of bed, and scurry to the bathroom to prepare myself for the aptitude testing. Exiting the bathroom, I look at myself in the mirror, examining the figure that is my reflection.

Pale, blonde hair with streaks of strawberry frames the girl's face, the rest pulled into a French braid beginning at the peak of her scalp. Loose hairs wire about the sideswept bangs just brushing her forehead. Narrow eyes as cold as ice stare back at me, lifeless and bloodshot from tears, and small freckles dapple her cheeks–small enough that they are invisible to the distant eye. A small, delicate nose protrudes from her face, and dainty ears peek from the sides. Thin, peachy lips curl down slightly, and her chin rounds sharply at the bottom of her slender head.

The right strap of a black tank top made from underarmour-like fabric shows though a navy, one strapped piece of armour that covers her chest, milky skin and abdominal muscles peeking between it and her faded black, baggy pants. Small shoulders give way to intricately chiseled muscles in her arms and black gloves that cover her forearms. Wrapping at the end of the gloves secure them in place and the loose pants legs drape around her slender, yet muscular thighs. Black open-toed boots support her feet and calves, and the strap of a kunai pocket against her right knee is covered by a black-clothed Konoha hiate, that was slit along the left side and folded around the pouch, ties across her hamstrings.

An inwardly sensitive 16 year old girl with a tough outer-shell mirrors my movements–a girl who still can't get over the loss of the one she thought she loved. Why does that pathetic little girl have to be me? Pathetic–I'm simply _pathetic_. I am always the one who ends up in tears caused by emotion. I rarely cry over pain; my icy, calloused exterior prevents anything of the sort. But my heart is far from frozen, and the muscle is weak and frail because I never use it–I don't need it for anything but to keep my blood circulating. But it's exactly that kind of thinking that gets me into this kind of mess. Maybe, per say, it would be prudent to build up its strength to protect myself from my own pent up emotions. Then again, when have I been anything other than imprudent?

I struggle to snap a tan bag to the back of my pants. My fingers shake as I pin the clasp together and grab my fan before exiting the apartment and locking the door behind me. I stare at my feet as I follow directions given my Tsunade's letter, my eyes never wavering from the tips of my toes. Her words echo in the back of my mind, confusing me and allaying me at the same time.

_"Do your best, Tsukami, hold nothing back."_

Wasn't she the one who told me to conceal my identity?

The testing takes nearly all day, and by the time we finish I am begging for a chance to leave. Frail figures in white cloaks administer my testing, asking pointless questions with seemingly wide-eyed intent. They record everything ferociously, down to every last syllable, eye movement, or tremor that my lips or body speak. They stare at me as I reluctantly complete each and every task they direct me to do, and there is not a single movement escaping their owlish glares. They creep me out, to say the least, but soon enough the time comes for me to see the results.

"It appears to me that our conclusion is correct down to every last point." A woman with bug-eyed glasses speaks, handing me the papers. "Study them well, and if anything appears miscalculated, speak with me."

I nod, making a beeline for the nearest chair to escape the awkwardness of it all. Despite the fact that this is second nature to the scientists, it doesn't deplete from the reasoning to think they are _far_ from normal people.

A stat chart occupies the first page. It resembles a spider web with eight supporting prongs, one for each category. Going clockwise and beginning at twelve o'clock, the divisions are as follows: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Intelligence, Force, Speed, Stamina, and Seal Knowledge. My chart leaned heavily on Speed and Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and Force following close behind. My Intelegence and Stamina were average, but a large gap of skill presented itself in Seal Knowledge, and Genjutsu, those two being close to zero.

Staring at the Summery Analysis on the next page, I couldn't help but wonder if they had literally stalked me as a child or read my diary from years ago. Every point was pinpoint correct, and each statement was skillfully put together and well thought through. I understand now why Tsunade told me not to hide anything; it's because they would be able to tell.

_"Reikoku Tsukami excels greatly in speed, stealth, and agility. She is agile in her moments and can evade close, mid, and far range attacks, with proper attentiveness, with ease. She relies mainly on using her opponent's power against him/herself, but when necessary she is fast enough to deliver several Taijutsu-type attacks before the average opponent is able to recuperate. She exploits her opponent's blind spots in battle and has the skill to evade the common eye with her stealth. Her intelligence is mainly based upon the weak points of the human body, which she uses to efficiently distribute her stamina and deliver powerful blows without using much strength. She is able to formulate a very basic strategy quickly and back it up with her Water, Wind, and Ice Release Ninjutsu. She lacks experience in Water-and-Wind-based jutsu, but she makes up for that in her exceptional Ice-based jutsu. Her Seal Knowledge and Genjutsu are terribly low ranked compared to the majority of her stats, and she knows no jutsu that fall under those two categories."_

My jutsu pool, consisting of various ice-wind-and-water-based jutsu and other varying kinds, is located at the bottom of the second page. My summoning contract and other random measurements rest at the very end.

"Reikoku-san, your validation is complete. Here is your ninja card." The woman pushes her spectacles up the bridge of her nose and hands me a small, laminated paper. It resembles an identification card in a way, but more like a shinobi ID.

_"Surname: Reikoku_

_Given Name: Tsukami_

_Affiliation: Konohagakure_

_Current Ninja Rank: Chūnin_

_Registered Ninja #: *****_

_Age: 16 _

_Zodiac Sign: Scorpio_

_Height: 162.6cm (5'4")_

_Weight: 51.3kg (113lb)_

_Blood Type: AB_

_Favorite Foods: Muffins, Steak, Tomatoes_

_Least Favorite Foods: Scrambled Eggs_

_Hobbies: Leisurely walks around town"_

The same woman approaches me after I finish reading my ID card, handing me another stack of papers and a card. I glance at the top of them, and instead of the name being "Reikoku Tsukami", it reads "Kitsuyuki Mikasu".

"They say practically the same things, but the names differ." The blonde woman speaks as I eye the messy hairs frizzing out from her bun. "Use the first one unless your cover is blown. You are dismissed."

I nod, taking to my feet. "Thank you." I say plainly before leaving the premises to report to the Hokage's office. We exchange a few words before we finally get down to business, and, frankly, I would have rather skipped the formal conversing to go home as quickly as possible.

I hand Tsunade both clumps of paper that the scientists had given me, and she snatches them away from me with haste. A scowl tugs at the end of my lips as she examines the paperwork, but all the while a smile creeps across hers.

"Perfect." She breathes, letting a triumphant exhale. "You're the perfect addition to the mission that is missing a leader." She tosses an envelope at me, and I catch it deftly, pulling at the seal.

"Really?" I growl, reading the print, and clutch my fist into a ball. "B Rank? Tomorrow? Are you serious?" My eyes narrow in her direction, vibrant cerulean peeling layer after layer from her conscious, which apparently she has too many to pry away. "And I'm the leader?"

"Yes, I'm serious." She gives me a forlorn look. "You wanted to become a Konohagakure shinobi and you will be treated like one from now on. Since your testing is complete, I know your pros and cons and can give you the support that you need in a team. You have leadership qualities and I expect to exploit them to the fullest."

"I don't think making me the leader is such a smart idea..."

She lectures me a bit more before I sigh as I exit the building, accepting defeat. The sun descends from the once blue sky, turning the surrounding air a tawny gold. The clouds sink back in the sky, depleting to strips of dusty, pewter cotton. I walk home briskly, enjoying the moist air, and stare at the details of the mission. I am to meet my team of four, including myself, at the entry gate on the edge of the village at promptly 9:00. From there, we set out to apprehend a mild rogue camping not too far from outskirts of Konoha and apprehend him alive.

As I insert the key, I hear a familiar voice beside me and the creaking of someone opening a door.

"I'm going to be late if I keep this up..."

I turn to meet a spiky-haired blonde dressed in a neon orange jacket and matching pants. Black sandals match the stripe at his shoulders and the Konoha hiate cloth tied at his forehead. Nostalgic crystalline eyes bore into mine, pure idiocy lying in wait.

"You look kinda familiar..." His voice drifts off, and so do his eyes. "From the last I've heard I have no neighbors..." His orbs find mine and glance to the key in my doorknob. "But I guess I'm mistaken."

"You.. You're that guy from Tsunade's office?" I stutter, shaking off my sudden nervousness. "That dolt that Sakura chased off?"

"Well, if you put it that way..." His boyish features stare back at me as he laughs. "It's kinda mean?"

"I guess, but I didn't intend for it to be." I say honestly. He pauses for a moment and gives me an odd stare.

"Anyway, Uzumaki Naruto." He extends a hand to me, expecting me to grasp it.

"Kit–" I cut myself off by faking a cough, a look of concern sprouting into his complexion.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I take his hand, large, masculine fingers gripping between my thumb and pointer finger. "Reikoku Tsukami. I just moved into Konoha from a small cottage in the mountains."

"Oh really?" We retract our hands as he tilts his head slightly, examining my attitude. "You're a shinobi, right?"

"I am." I raise an eyebrow, a smirk playing at my lips. "And if I'm not mistaken, you're a member of my team for a mission tomorrow."

His eyes widen. "Your team? As in, you're the leader?"

"Is that a surprise to you?" I narrow my eyes bitterly, causing his eyes to divert elsewhere.

"That's not what I meant." He says apologetically. "What I mean is you're new to Konoha and usually the more experienced shinobi become the team leader."

"Thanks for the confidence booster." I laugh halfheartedly, giving a wry smile. "Looks can be deceiving, you know."

"I do know..." He shrugs, his eyes lighting up. "You look about my age though, right? Sixteen?" I can't help but to giggle at his irony.

I nod, "Yeah, so?"

"I was just heading to the bath house to meet with some friends, maybe I could introduce you to them and show you around? You know, to help you find your way in the village."

"A bath house? With your dude friends? I feel like that's a sketchy proposal coming from some random kid I just met." I stare at him blankly, watching as his shoulders shake in laughter.

"Oh come on, would you? I'm not asking you to do something exotic. It's separate batheing, and some of my female friends are going, too." He grabs my wrist and tugs me down the staircase. "You'd get along well with them!"

I feel my cheeks begin to warm and redden at his comment, but luckily the darkness shrouds my face and hides the color from him until I have time to calm down. I stutter a response, but the noise of his feet stopping heavily down the metal stairs drowns out my voice. His grip tightens as we weave through throngs of people, and he finally lets go when his eyes catch a group of teenagers in front of our destination.

"You're such a drag, Naruto. Always late." A black-haired man scoffs, brushing dirt from his shoulders.

"Ooo, found yourself a lady friend, have you? Being the village's hero has it's perks doesn't it?" A petite, blonde giggles from beside him.

"Guys, this is Tsukami." Naruto motions towards me, ignoring snag remarks. "It turns out that she's my new neighbor so I thought I'd introduce her to some friends since she just moved here and all."

I take a step forward, "Reikoku Tsukami." I wave and give a light smile, just now noticing the tall, young man at the end of the line with his messy, honey brown hair and his slit-like pupils locked onto me. One by one each of them, including Naruto, introduce themselves to me, giving me small tidbits of information about themselves until it falls onto him, Kiba.

"Inuzuka Kiba." He says, eyes never wavering from my frame. "You know me."

It was just that unemotional glare of his that made my heart skip a beat in suspense and even in slight _fright_. Why the hell...?

I undress quickly in the women's locker and wash off before slipping into the calmingly scalding water and making small talk with Sakura and Hinata. I relaxed my sore muscles, allowing the heat to singe the pain and inwardly tension away and out of my system.

"So, Tsukami..." Ino chimes, starting a brief conversation... "Any of the boys look appealing to you?" ...Or so I thought it would be a brief conversation.

"I–Ino! Don't pressure her! I mean–she just moved here and all. I bet she has a lot on her mind..." Hinata adds, sinking her face into the water.

"It's fine." I say bluntly, reaching my arms behind my head, and kick my feet out slightly. "I'm not interested in a relationship right now. But finding them appealing doesn't mean I'm attracted to them, so, frankly, I don't mind putting it out there that I find someone attractive." I sigh, putting my arms back down.

"Finally someone who agrees!" Ino calls out, throwing her arms up. "So...?"

"Most of them are actually pretty attractive." I close my eyes and give a slight smile. "But to narrow it down...?" I open pale blue eyes and begin to think out loud. "I'm not one of those creepy, perverted girls, but I saw Naruto take his shirt off before he went into they guys' locker... and hot damn!" I close my eyes again, letting my mind drift. "Not to mention Sai's... but I also like Kiba's tousled hair and that little tooth that pokes out from his lips... but I find Neji's outfit adorable, and all of their eyes are so intriguing–"

My train of thought pauses as I catch all four of the the girls' eyes, even Hinata's, locked onto me, smiling.

"Oh Tsuki-chan..." Tenten starts, placing her arms on the wall and stretching her back. "The way you seem so comfortable talking about this, ...it's almost admirable–"

She is interrupted by suspicious scuffling inside the women's locker room. They all directed our attention to the door, sinking down to hide their bodies in the water.

"It's all the same..." Sakura sighs, placing a hand on her chin. "I should've known better to come to the bathhouse on Naruto's obligation."

I momentarily did the same as all the girls in covering my body, but then I sprung up from the water, steam cloaking my taut muscles, and began the trek to the doorway.

"I'm getting out," I say, wrapping a towel around myself. "I have a feeling there are more than just our own eyes lingering in the women's facility." I ring out my sopping, strawberry blonde locks and face the girls, who, surprisingly, have towels around their torsos.

"I second that, _Tsukami_." Sakura adds emphasis on my alibi name, shaking her pink hair. It just now occurred to me that Tsunade had told her everything about me. "I'd rather not be spied on."

"I'll go in first and change, and if the coast is clear I'll call you guys in."

All of the girls give their silent consent of agreement.

I enter the room slowly and cautiously; so far, everything looks completely normal. I remove my towel and pull a black sports bra across my chest and slide my panties on.

It was then that the scuffling returned.

"I dunno, man. Last time they weren't even out of the ba–" The door creaks open, leaving a small crack for my eyes to connect to those oh-so-familiar oceanic hued orbs. Seeing me in the room sends him into silence, yet his eyes linger at my waist and he remains at the door a second longer than he should've. Getting pissed, I close the three foot gap between myself and the door by taking one step and crashing my fist into the door. It slams shut, a painful, jabbing feeling pulsing through my knuckles as my fist breaks a hole through the door.

Let's just put it at there were no more unwanted visitors after that.

I strap my navy armour across my chest and roll the waist of my pants twice before securing the elastic ends at an inch below my knees. I put my black sandals on with ease and stuff my gloves, kunai pack, and hiate in the tan bag on my left hip.

I call for the girls and give them a thumbs up before they enter the room. Ino eyes the hole in the door and my bleeding, splintered knuckles with a grin as she quickly throws on her purple attire.

"No trouble?" Tenten questions sarcastically, her eyes pointing directly at the door that now resembles a rectangular doughnut.

I laugh and glance at the door, picking the wood from my right hand. "Oh, not enough to mention."

"Mind me asking who it was?" Sakura inquires, slipping on her top.

"As you suspected." I chuckle, taking a seat on the bench in the corner of the room. Hinata turned red.

Sakura exhales loudly, attempting to suppress her anger. "I've tried everything to get him to stop that, so I eventually just gave up. Do me a favor and give him a whack on the way home."

"Mm. Will do."

The boys and the girls didn't meet up again outside of the bathhouse, but just a by my own bad luck, I caught up with Naruto. He will see me tomorrow anyway, so might as well engage him sooner than later.

"Oi!" I call into the darkness, tugging at his shoulder. He slows his pace to match mine and nods in acknowledgement. I glance at him, furrowing my brows, and give him a slight punch in the arm, causing him to wince.

"What was that for?" He exclaims, rubbing his arm gingerly.

"Oh, you know what it's for." I tease not-so-playfully. "Care to explain yourself?"

"It was a dare." He sighs, "I was supposed to sneak up and scare the girls, but then..." His voice died off, his cheeks visibly reddening through the obscurity. "And not doing a dare is proof of femininity."

"Is there something wrong with femininity?" I growl, balling my hands into fist hard enough to draw blood. "Are you implying that females are less than males?"

"Nonono! I mean–since I'm a guy, I wouldn't want my masculinity to lessen by not doing the dare."

"Well that's some masculinity you have. Peeping on girls is _great_ way prove yourself. Bravo."

"It was someone's bad idea! I didn't mean to peep on you!" His voice seems stunningly sincere. "...My intentions were to bring you to meet some friends, not stare at your half naked body!"

We walk in silence for the rest of the way back; his bluntness startles me, but by the time we reach our apartment dorms he conjures the nerve to speak up.

"Look, I'm really sorry about–"

"I forgive you." I say, interrupting him by turning the key in my lock. "I know a classic tsundere like me shouldn't be throwing forgiveness out of the blue, but you seem like a pretty honest guy and I think you deserve another chance."

"W–"

I grab his collar pulling his face closer to my own, our noses almost brushing. "Just know that if you pull one more royal fuck up, I'll make you wish I had never forgiven you." I release him my grasp and whack him on the shoulder. Hard.

"Ehh?! Another hit?!" He gasps, standing to turn the knob on his own door.

"The first one was from Sakura." I say, stepping inside my apartment . "That one's from me."

The last thing I saw before slamming the door was a soft grin forming over his lips and those twinkling, blue eyes of his.


	5. Leader

**A/N: This chapter contains adult language, and hateful yet passionate fluff/idk. :) On another note, would you rather me update more frequently, but with short chapters, or keep everything the same as they are now?**

**Chapter Five: Leader**

Eight o'clock rolls around quicker than I would've liked, and I force myself out of bed and open a window, moist, cool air gushing in. I can smell the rain in the clouds, literally, as I pull on a black sports bra. A pair of charcoal leggings fit to my body, showing every curve of my legs.

I stare at the navy armour in my hands. Aisuru-kun had given me this as a holiday present. I had had it modified several times in attempt to resize it so that is would still fit me, but it just ended up looking like a crop top piece of navy shit. I wore it plenty of times before because I felt safer when he was with me. Even when he was alive I wore it endlessly. But now, after his passing, it would be better for myself to let go.

He wouldn't want me to drag out his death and hurt myself.

I drop it on the floor and dig through my drawer for a cream pullover and slip it on quickly before rambling out the door to pick up my new attire from the seamstress.

After purchasing the custom-made outfit with the small amount of my I had left, I decide to try it out and examine myself in the mirror.

The wide neck shows my collarbones, and loose sleeves cut off just above my wrists. The elbows of the sleeves are tailored to morph into a loose fishnet and back to regular cloth so that my skin can breathe. The front buttons a third of the way down, one side overlapping the other. The navy blue fabric glides loosely over my body, and slits from the ribcage down allow leg movement. I wear the same charcoal leggings as earlier with a pair of fishnet sock rising up to the tops of my knees. Black, closed-toed boots cut off just under my knees with no kind of heel at the soles My regular kunai pack, ninja pouch, and hiate hang where they usually do.

I toss my old, black gloves to the ground as I contemplate hooking my fan to my back. It is clunky and gets in the way of my Taijutsu, and with my augmenting skill in hand to hand combat I am beginning to use it less and less. As a child I had relied on it as a lifeline since my physical and ninjutsu prowess were lacking, but now... It is simply dead weight.

Change is always good.

I open the closet, shove the fan in, and quickly close it, making my way toward the kitchen. I had a bowl of cereal before tying my hair into a high ponytail with elastic and braiding it until it reached the lower midsection of my back. I brush my teeth and frown into the bathroom mirror as I just begin to grow nervous.

My first mission in Konoha and that hag Tsunade just had to assign me as the leader? I've had expirence with low leveded missions, but I've never been a leader-espicially for a B-ranked one.

My mind races with scenarios.

What if I get someone killed on my watch?

What if I'm not as good a leader as Tsunade thinks me to be?

What if the mission turns out to be harder than I expect?

What is I fail my first mission, failing my comrades, myself, and Tsunade?

But worst of all: What if I end up dead?

I'm just overthinking things - I'll be fine - My partners will be fine - The mission will be a success.

Clinging to hope is the only thing I can do to assure myself that things will be okay, even though I know for a fact that they might not be. Even if that hope is false hope.

No one ever told me how god damn much it hurts to hope when the very thing you set your future on crumbles apart in your hands.

I close the window and I'm out the door before nine-ten I hear a loud rustling coming from inside Naruto's house, and I think about waiting for him; however, my thoughts are consumed with the responsibility of being the leader of this group and I know that I have to be there early. Judging on his attendance at the bathhouse, I can already tell that he's the type who tends to be behind schedule. I maintain a brisk pace as I jump across rooftops in the direction of the gate. I tighten my grip on the slip of paper that Tsunade had given me yesterday. Our encounter echos in the back of my mind.

_"Why did I appoint you as the leader?" She throws her head back, poking her lips as she peers at the ceiling. "Well - Naruto is too idiotic and doesn't assess the situation, Kiba is too controlled by his emotions, and Hinata is too withdrawn to take the lead."_

_"And you think I'm not any of those things?" I question, placing a hand on my hip._

_"No. In fact, I know that you are idiotic and emotional, but they depend on your shyness." Her hazel eyes lock onto mine. "You're too scared to fail so you tuck away your idiocies, and you're afraid you'll be judged if you let your emotions out so you hide them inside yourself."_

_I scowl at her, narrowing my oceanic eyes. "And how the hell do you know that?"_

_"If you're anything like me," She stands, pressing her palms against the desk, and leans her body forward. "You'd know exactly how I know."_

A pair of pale, lilac eyes greet me with a smile. "Hello, Tsukami-san." She bows slightly, and I return the smile.

"C'mon, Hina, I told you to drop the honorific. We're friends now, right?" I flash her a smirk.

She nods, her cheeks heating slightly.

"Yo! Hinata!" I turn to see tousled, honey-brown locks rushing toward us. His eyes tighten as he looks at me, almost as if they were infused with a hint of fear.

"G-goodmorning, Kiba-kun."

I raise a brow. "What's with that look?" I pop a knee and place my hand on the opposite hip.

His lips curl upward into shit-eating grin. "What look? He pets Akamaru, eyes locked on mine. "Where's the captain?"

I mirror his facial expression, grinning maniacally. "You're looking at her." His response only makes me grin wider.

"You're the leader?" He asks, wide eyed in shock. "Are you even a Chunin?"

I narrow my eyes into an icy glare. "Are you doubting me?"

"Hell yeah!" He shouts, making me bite my lip. Never in my life have I wanted to strangle someone more.

"What happened to the Kiba I first met -" I spit, gritting my teeth. "The Kiba that walked me home with shy, blushing cheeks?"

"What's your problem?" He digs his fingernails into his palms, wincing.

"K-kiba-kun, please calm down." Hinata looks at him with innocent, pleading eyes. He releases his death grip and stares down at her, pouting slightly. He is silent for the rest of the time we wait for Naruto.

Eventually the blonde shows up, huffing and gasping for breath.

"About time." I tease, looking down at the missive in my palms. "Now we should head to Tsunade's office for a briefing."

"Why's we meet at the gate if we're gonna go see Tsunade-sama?" Kiba groans.

"Don't ask me. They were her orders."

Kiba grumbles an incoherent response, nevertheless we hurry to meet her on time.

"Ba~achan?" Naruto coos, knocking on the door. I flash him an annoyed look, and he backs away.

I knock on the door, humming softly. "It's Tsukami."

"Enter." I open the door and beckon my squad inside. We stand in a line and await Tsunade's address.

"I have assigned you all a B Rank mission because I believe that this squad had the capabilities to fulfill it. I will not tolerate failure." She glances over us from left to right. "Reikoku Tsunami has been appointed the leader. Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Uzukami Naruto will follow her orders as members of her assembly. Your mission is to apprehend a Rouge Ninja from Sunagakure hiding in the woods approximately five miles west of the village and bring him back to Konoha." She hands me a paper with his file on it. "His name is Hakemette Fūyoku. I expect you to explain his details to your team later on and that you have brought the items I gave you yesterday, Tsukami. You are dismissed."

I am too tired to make a comment, so I only nod. We exit her office quickly, and I shut the door behind me. I lead my team back to the gate and out of Konoha.

"Alright." I say, reading the file on the missingnin. "I'll brief you as we walk along this trail. Fūyoku is a hand-to-hand combat specialist with Fire and Wind chakra natures. Black hair and eyes. No Kekkei Genkai, but he has a stolen Forbidden Jutsu." I turn around and eyes each of my teammates. "Let's begin by stating our own chakra natures and specialties. Kiba, would you be so kind as to go first?" I bat my eyes cutely, trying my damnest to piss him off.

"Yeah, fine." He grunts. "Fire chakra nature, tracking and locating, speed."

I groan. Fire: disgusting.

"U-Um-water chakra, t-tracking and locating, close combat." Hinata mumbles, making quick glances in Naruro's direction.

"Wind style. And I'm not really sure what I'm good at... but I can take a lot of hits and use Senjutsu..." Naruto placing his hands on the nape of his neck.

I grin and chuckle quietly, suppressing my shock at the mention of Sage Mode. "Water and Wind chakra, Hand-to-Hand combat and Stealth."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Two chakra natures? Are you forreal?" Kiba pipes, looking hurt.

"I told you my mother was from the Yuki Clan, didn't I?" I laugh facing the road, "I inherited her Ice Release."

"Is that why you were chosen as the leader instead of me?" Kiba scoffs, crossing his arms.

"No, it's because you're too overcome by your emotions." Tsunade probably didn't want me to share that, but I don't care.

I stop in my tracks as I feel a warm, broad hand grip my wrist, yanking me around to face him. Kiba's head looms over mine as he graps the collar of my shirt, hoisting my face up to look him in the eyes. I jut my chin up in attempt to look unharmed, but I can't help but feel small as his body towers a good couple inches above mine. I feel his breath tickling down my neck, ushering a wave of goosebumps down my spine. My eyes harden into piercing ice, and his dialte into narrow slits. His lips curl up in a snarl, exposing his pointed, canine teeth.

"You think you're so high and mighty just because you were chosen as the captain of this mission." He growls, forcing my nose to hover just inches from his. "Well you're not. I could beat you into a pulp if I wanted to."

"Do it, I dare you." I snarl, placing my grip on his hand holding my shirt to assert my readiness.

"You're too cocky to be the leader." He scoffs with a slight rasp. I laugh spitefully at his ignorance and hypocrisy.

"Jealous much?" I retort, barring my teeth. "I'm just showing my authority so the mission goes smoothly." I ignore his snag remarks, hoping to keep my anger down.

"But becoming captain on your first assignment in Konoha is jeopardizing our success." He argues, standing firm on his beliefs. I wonder for a moment what in the world is going through Hinata and Naruto's minds as they watch this scene unfold.

"And so is your insistence to rebel against me." I say coolly. "You best not question Tsuande's judgment."

"You get on my nerves."

"And you don't get on mine?" I snap, eyebrows twitching in irritation. "I seriously wonder what happened to the Kiba I first met."

He snarls, his grip tightening, "And I seriously wonder why you're not fighting back."

"Oh, I don't know." I roll my eyes, hardening my glare. "Maybe because I'm not scared of you?"

I instantly regretted letting those words slip past the broken filter of my mouth, because somewhere, somehow-even if I didn't know it at the moment-that was a partial lie.

"What do you think a leader is?"

"Someone who leads."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

"Alright then," His eyes swell with irritation, boring down deep into my soul. "Let's see who the real leader is-" He pulls me forward one last time, and I don't resist. All the while I try my hardest to keep my composure. "You or me."

He lets go, throwing me back. I stumble but don't fall, and I flash him the worst grin that's ever made its way onto my lips. "I'd like to see you try to best me."

He lunges for me again, but I block his fist. "Cooperate and I won't put this little encounter down in the mission summery. You wouldn't want Tsunade to see you as a renegade, right?"

He growls in protest before backing away like a kicked puppy.

"Can you settle this some other time, guys?" Naruto waltzes straight between us as if nothing had just happened-so nonchalant.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get in with this mission. We have already lost time so we can't afford to walk the whole way down this passage."I sigh, glaring at Kiba whom is whispering to Hinata. "Take to the treetops."

Undoubtedly, my squad follows me as I rip through the air, my feet brushing lightly against the branches of the trees. A deafening silence occupies the humid atmosphere as the darkening clouds sink into the gray skies. I glance back at my team after who knows how long-for the nonexistent sounds of conversations had blocked my sense of time-and I send Hinata and Kiba a knowing glance. Hinata nods and the veins around her lavender eyes constrict, becoming trenchant in contrast with her pale, smooth skin. Kiba simply ignores my acknowledgement, but in the corner of my mind I know that he doesn't have the gall to defy me anymore. We scour the forest for several minutes before we detect any sign of human life.

"C-Chakra network at two o'clock!" Hinata calls, her voice audibly shaking. "200 meters!"

Without speaking I change our course, and, without speaking, Kiba passes me and speeds forward. I curse under my breath for trusting him not to act out and run after him, placing my hand on his shoulder to yank him back.

"What the hell are you doing?" I whisper-more like scream-at him. "If you charge so recklessly you could get killed!"

He doesnt answer, only disappearing in the leaves. I can tell that Akamaru agrees with me, but he whimpers before following his best friend.

"Hinata, stay back with Naruto once you get close to the suspected target! Come in only if things get rough! I'm following Kiba to try to get him to slow down!"

I noticed Hinata's face redden before they faded from my point of view.

My only means of tracking Kiba is to use my ears and look for a wagging, white tail that sometimes appears through the trees. I manage to stay on his trail, and he leads me towards a campsite with a blazing fire in the center.

A midnight-haired man with sunken, dark eyes sits around the searing flames in a forest clearing. A maroon top with various ninja-like accessories adorn his lean torso and gray slacks hang at his hips, covering his long legs completely. His gaze snaps up as ash rises and floats with the stormy wind, and his eyes narrow at Kiba.

I decide to conceal myself for now and head in after Kiba gets his ass handed to him a little bit.

A few rushed yells leave Kiba's lips and a puff a smoke hugs at Akamaru, revealing a clone of the brunette. His arms fly to the side as his body spins around like a tornado of claws and fangs. Akamaru follows suit with the same formation, and the pair shred their way into their target.

I blink before realizing that Kiba had actually performed an okay surprise attack.

The fire is put out and the rogue flies into a nearby tree, his spine crashing into the thick truck. Despite my predictions, he is able to stand up cleanly and counter Kiba's ambush.

He wields a few hand signs and a lets loose a paralyzing burst of wind from his lungs, forcing Kiba back and putting him in the exact position he had forced his enemy into merely second ago. Akamaru digs his claws into the soil and holds his ground, but there is no mistaking it: Kiba and I both know in an instant, almost like our minds connected, that the tides of this fight had just been turned into Fūyoku's favor.

I can't just hide in the trees when my comrade-my squad member-is being pummeled by some missingnin. I doesn't matter if I don't like him; he's a teammate.

What the fuck was I thinking before?

I take a deep breath to calm myself. Ambushing is a specialty of mine. I could probably sneak past a herd of rogues unseen.

But this is different; the battle had already begun.

Why didn't I stop Kiba like I told Hinata and Naruto I would?

I push every ounce of sanity in my veins aside and charge into the scene like some kind of valiant hero that I know I'm not.

The signs for bird, horse, dog, and rabbit fly across my fingers like the smoke rising from the coals on which a fire used to burn - so quickly, so easily, so naturally; like my fingertips had been bent into those four positions in succession hundreds upon hundreds of times. I can't help but allow a faint smile to prick at my lips as the thought of saving Kiba's ass flashes in my head. The embarrassment and irritation that would flood through him, his face heating up with anger and sheepishness as he would make some stupid excuse for begin knocked onto his butt on the first blow. Dear lord, the sheepishness-the immense pleasure I would gain from pissing that little pansy off.

Two kunai made of ice form in my palms, one in each, and I swiftly cast one in the direction of my opponent. It pains me to watch him deflect it with sharp attentiveness and force a wall of air to sweep into me.

It literally swept into me, and I regretted leaving my fan at home.

Now I understand why Kiba is sitting against the tree, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain.

It feels like my insides are being ripped - more like blown - out of me. There is no external pain, but internally my body feels shattered into millions of pieces. My breath leaves me, and I am unable to catch it. My lungs feel crushed.

For a moment I wonder the horror of what it feels like for your blood to freeze over in your bloodstreams and for your organs to rupture in shards of crimson ice, piercing through your flesh and soaking your clothes in a red dust.

I push that thought away and focus on the task at hand. If I am hit with that attack again I won't be able to out do this man in Taijutsu. All the while, during my insolent, self-absorbed trance, the distance between Fūyoku and my own body had closed to a mere 10 feet. I force myself to stand, despite my body's protests, when the gap dwindles to small enough for him to land a blow; I find myself falling back to the ground to my right.

Oh, but it's not like anything had gone unplanned.

I catch myself by extending my right hand, my arm bending as I harness the weight from forcing myself into the ground. I transfer at the force through a straight line down my body to my left foot. Using my lower shin, I smite my leg into his left ankle with a power I, myself, had never seen come from that attack. A satisfactory snapping sound disorientates Fūyoku as he stumbles backward, limping.

Crippling the enemy? Check.

Beating said enemy into a pulp? In process.

My fist connects to his jaw, and I feel my knuckles split underneath my gloves as the force yanks him to his feet - or should I say foot? He yowls in pain before blocking my other fist and smashing a knee to my ribcage. Blood dribbles down from the corner of my mouth, and I wipe it away with my glove.

I finally come to my senses once again.

This guy is good at fighting even with a shattered ankle, and despite also being a good at hand-to-hand combat, beating him into a pulp wouldn't be completing the mission. Actually, I'm just too stubborn to admit that it'll take a lot of effort to take him down than I originally conceived. Dammit, I'm too ignorant.

I hop backwards and send Kiba a killer glare as I speed towards him, Fūyoku hot on my heels. I easily out speed him with his injury, and I grab Kiba's wrist when I arrive, pulling him up to stand. He groans and leans his weight onto me.

"Man up, Kiba. I was hit with the same attack and I'm doing just fine." I blurt, shoving him off of me. He staggers to his feet, clutching his sides with barred teeth.

"It hurts - so - fucking - much." His teeth grit against each other, and I realize that maybe, just _maybe_, he was hit harder than me.

I feel a twinge of guilt panging at my chest, but that guilt is quickly dissolved. This bastard deserved every throb of agony inflicted upon him for rushing in like an emotional little kid.

I look into his eyes, and I can see the pain; the attack he was hit with was stronger. Much stronger. Seeing the Kiba that buried his fist into my shirt and pulled my face close to his out of spite, his mouth spitting venomous words, actually managed to set sparks - no matter how small - of a raging fear-fueled fire inside of me looking so hurt and terrible made me feel hopeless. He seems like the kind of boy who is a talk and no bite, but no. Oh, dear sweet heavens no. I don't have to right to say anything about him, but just by him giving me the smallest glance I can tell when he's ready to rip me to shreds.

Even though I met him not too long ago, I feel like I've known him all my life.

But at this very moment, for the first time, I see his pained face and wonder if he'll be alright in the end. His eyes communicate to me without wavering, and he stands with a reassuring smile.

"What are you doing pitying me? Defend yourself."

I glance back up and see those familiar seals. Now that he's given up on Taijutsu, he's planning on bombarding us with that internally inflicting wind style.

"Don't think for a minute that I'd even want to pity you." I snap, my eyes finding his. They speak a silent 'Thank You' but I can't bring myself to say it aloud. "And as for this," I say, manipulating my fingers into various seals. "I'm protecting myself and you just happen to gain something by me doing so."

A part of me wants to speak the truth - that I actually am protecting him because I don't ever want to see him wear that antagonizing expression or I don't want to feel that empty, hopeless feeling in my chest ever again. Nevertheless, the other side won, and Tsunade had been right about me all along.

My eyes narrow and intensify into such a cold, hard ice that I swear I've never worn on my face before as I stare across the distance between my target. My glare seemed to eliminate that space completely, and the usually helpless wind that bursts forth from my body blazes across the field, ripping Fūyoku's jutsu apart and rendering him defenseless.I reactivate my Ice Crystals jutsu and form a prison around the rogue...

And my heart sinks when his body flashes away and takes the appearance of a log.

My immediate instinct is to shield myself, but my body moves on its own.

As I turn around I see a ripple in the airflow near Kiba, and on impulse I lunge into his path, knocking him away as a string of curses escape his lips. Things along the lines of: "Fuck you, Tsukami!" and "What the hell are you thinking? I was moving out of the way!"

The last thing I feel before blacking out is the wholeness in my heart and the fruitfulness of seeing his irritated face scream and yell at at me. I can't help but crack a soft smile.

It makes me wonder what exactly he was trying to communicate to me earlier.

I am a leader, now - not someone who sits around, commanding others to do the work, but someone who undergoes the same pain and hardships as those below her and shows the way through the darkness. A leader is someone who works for and with the people, standing on the front lines with a burning passion just as strong as those who are around her as _comrades. _A leader is someone who not only leads, but protects and values a comrade's life over her own. Someone who is willing to push a _teammate, _not an underling, out of harm's way.

I did manage to save him, after all, and seeing his flustered, angry face is all the medication I need to forget the blistering pain of my insides twisting and throbbing like complete and utter hell.

I am a real leader now, and I am ready to face this difficulty and help Kiba. I can't abandon him now; that would be selfish of me. I'm a rather selfish person, nonetheless, but for some reason every fiber of my being is focused on not leaving him alone to fight for himself.

He needs me.

I will wake up.

**A/N: Yeehaw, cliché ending. :)**

**Would you rather: have small, more frequent chapters or keep everything the same?**

**Feedback is greatly appreciated!**


	6. Any Other Way

**A/N: I'm trying out the thought of including a Songstamp into this chapter. The song is called "Any Other Way" by We The Kings; hence, the chapter name. Have fun reading this slightly violent and almost fluffy chapter!**

**Chapter Six: Any Other Way**

_**"I am wide awake,**_

_**And I'm standing tall.**_

_**Up against the world,**_

_**Up against the wall...**_

_**Between the love and hate,**_

_**They can hardly wait**_

_**to watch the hero fall..."**_

My eyes flutter open, but my body stays glued to the turf. Judging by the position Kiba is in, I couldn't have been out but a mere minute. I weakly curl my fingers as I taste a metal-like substance in my mouth: blood seeps past my lips in a fit of coughing. My lungs feel ruptured, and my chest is numb, yet swelling with pride.

I did it; I'm awake.

Oh, but I should've known that it had only just begun. Rising to my feet is a losing struggle, and I can't keep an eye on Kiba because it takes so much focus just to manipulate my muscles through all the searing, throbbing pain.

I don't care how much tension I put on my body, and I don't care if I have to put up with the agony; I will succeed, and I will fight on not only my life, but also Kiba's life - my comrade's lives. Hinata and Naruto, wherever they may be, could be suffering - _dying - _ and I refuse to cower and do nothing like worthless weight on their shoulders. The augmenting guilt in my gut would increase tenfold, and I would be eaten from the inside out by the thought of watching or knowing that it could be happening.

Kiba growls as he and Akamaru go in for a combination attack. His brunette head escapes my view as he invidiously rotates and grinds against Fūyoku's body. A mutilated screech erupts from the rogue as he is thrown backward, his body flailing helplessly as he slides against the earth like a tumbling stone. The boy and his dog return to their average state, and I notice that Akamaru's pearl white pelt is dusted with brown tips and burnt edges, and Kiba isn't looking much better to say the least. I feel bad for leaving them, but also feel relieved that I wasn't caught in the flames.

I fucking _hate_ fire.

But that gives me all the more of a reason to ignore _my_ pain to beat this heat-loving, comrade-smashing, satanic bastard until he regrets his mother giving him his wretched life; I'll make him want to return his first birthday present.

I don't care how the hell I do it or how much it hurts, I will channel every drop of rage in my being and unleash it in an onslaught unknown to mankind. I don't even feel like using ninjutsu, I want to feel his skin ripple and crunch when I send my fists crashing into his body; I want to see his face when he knows the pain he's put us through.

He has nothing to do with my clan's massacre, so I'll do it for myself, my comrades, for god damned Kiba and his pained face.

_**"You could give me hell,**_

_**You could give me death,**_

_**But before I bend,**_

_**I will have revenge..."**_

My throat rumbles in resentment as I blatantly ignore the abhorrent signals that my nerves transmit to my brain. For having a sprained and or broken ankle and having just taken the blow if the century, Fūyoku is surprisingly light on his feet as he evades my punch.

"Get out of the way you asshat! You're hurt, let me take care of this!" Kiba runs toward me, calling me off of the battleground.

I make eye contact with Kiba as I whip my torso around, and that split second is enough time to communicate what I wanted to say to him. My body aligns like a lever, my left leg planted firmly on the ground and the fingertips of my right hand giving support, my left arm hovers aside for balance, and my right leg sweeps upward for my opponents face. He ducks under my foot and forces my leg down to his left, knocking me off balance: my body collapses straight onto my face, but I catch myself on my arms, one leg sticking straight underneath me and the other bent to the side. I pull my head to the right and he stabs a kunai into the soil where my head once was. My chest turns at the ribcage as I sling my left arm toward the sky and follow through to my hip; he falls backward, clutching his face from where the pinky side of my left fist collided with his nose.

My eyes of ice meet with Fuyoku's sunken in pair as blood dribbles from his nose and down his lips. I smile, latching onto his wrist as he throws a punch, and I use his own momentum to sling him around onto the ground several feet away in Kiba's direction.

Kiba takes initiative to keep him busy while I have time to recover from almost freaking _dying_. Kiba's speed takes me off guard, and he seems to have found his passion in watching me or some kind of pep talk from Akamaru. It doesn't take more than a second for me to decide on the latter, nor does it for the situation to sink onto me.

I make up my mind without hesitation to head into the battle once again.

"Kiba! Keep him steady!" I roar, drawing blood from my thumb before folding my fingers into various seals and pressing the offering to the soil. A large, white-pelted fox emerges from the rising smoke, blue eyes looking into my own with confusion."Kisura! Please help out Akamaru by holding this rogue down with your jaws; I just need a little but more time."

Kisura shakes her puzzled look away and zips into the bucking mess of barks, screams and howls. I focus my attention on my next move, concentrating a mass of chakra as I sign for horse, boar, tiger, ram, and lastly dragon. An unstable spark of bluish light pricks alive in my palm, growing rapidly from an ember to a freezing flame. I cringe as I force more power into it.

_Stop it, right now._

_You know that it was by pure luck that your were able to even __**almost **__execute this move on the leader of __**that **__group._

_This variation could drain the small remainder of your chakra completely._

_You haven't even fully developed the first variation of this attack._

_You could die by using this._

I ignore the admonitions of the back of my mind and resume charging Tokesaki. I feel the cold seeping through my gloves as the mist morphs into a flame of ice-natured energy. Adrenaline soars through my body, kindling my brokeness into some sort of grotesque determination.

_**"Fire through my veins,**_

_**I will fan the flames**_

_**until by dying breath..."**_

In the fighting scene, Kisura lunges, jaws open, at Fūyoku, to which he evades by stepping aside. While dodging Kisura, he also dodges Akamaru's bite and Kiba's ill-aimed punch. I recognize his hand signs, and I instantly charge toward Kiba and shield his body with my own. A violent wind lashes toward us as I straighten my Tokesaki hand: just as the air almost pierces into us, I slice my hand from the sky to the ground, forcefully cutting the wind around us. Frozen dust particles, snow, descend from the contact point as I slowly pace forward, Tokesaki still raging on my hand.

I almost vomit, but I keep it down just in time. The dull ache in my bones turns into a shattering explosion augmenting in power with every heartbeat. I can read the panic on the rogue's pale face, almost eating him alive. His legs wobble as he signs once more, but this time for a different jutsu.

My heart sinks as I see him wield the sign for dragon, a common fire-natured seal.

Likewise, my heart burns hotter with anger.

Isn't it ironic that someone that carries such a hatred for fire has such relations and comparisons to it?

_**"I will never go down any other way.**_

_**I will never go down any other way."**_

The flames are casted toward us, and I feel a hand on my shoulder; I don't have time to look back before replicating the motion from before, cutting across the fire. The flames part around us, the contacted fire disintegrating into hollow spears of ice.

_**"Gasoline pumping through my veins,**_

_**Dancing on top of the flames."**_

The fire curves around us and nips at our heels. The heat seems to slowly die as its molecules halt all movement, and the newly-formed ice gives off a brisk steam before hardening into a dark blue color. I turn around and see Kiba's hand still placed gingerly on my shoulder, a grateful smile etched across his lips.

_**"I will never go down any other way."**_

I collapse once again, but I fall into Kiba's arms. The edges of my vision blacken, and eventually I am kidnapped by the darkness. I feel myself being hoisted onto a soft, warm surface - either Akamaru or Kisura - and that's when everything goes numb and I drift into full unconsciousness.

_**"Any other way..."**_

I don't regret anything I've accomplished during the mission, and I certainly don't regret protecting Kiba. He taught me things that I needed - he gave me the knowledge and strength I've lacked all my life. What better way to repay him is there than saving his life?

He taught me that the only way it's okay for a leader to go down is by protecting her comrades, and that is something I will never, ever forget...

**XXX**

"Just let me in!" A voice - an ever-so-familiar, raspy voice - calls in a desperately venomous tone. "It's my fault she's even in this pit and I should at least be able to see her!"

"I'm sorry, but you no visitors are permitted until she awakes. I cannot allow you to enter, sir." I peer out the cracked door and see a red fang-like marking. Kiba emits a low growl before our eyes meet through the slim opening through the door's threshold. His eyes widen as he throws the door open, receiving exasperated scolds from the nurse outside the door.

"You have five minutes!" And that is the last thing we hear from her before she storms away.

"I want to punch you so badly right now." Kiba states, crossing his arms. I merely roll my eyes and sit up.

"And why would that be?"

"Because you almost had yourself fucking killed!" Kiba seethes, a look of small anger in his eyes.

"Any mission is risk to one's life. Why do you care if I'm killed?" I retort, mirroring him by crossing my arms over my chest.

"Does that matter right now? The thing is, I couldn't live with myself if I watched someone who had sacrificed themselves for me die before my eyes without doing anything about it - especially if that person is-"

"You're just angry because I'm not your little damsel in distress. You're mad because I can handle myself - more specifically, you're mad because I'm the one who did the saving. Not just once, twice, but three times did I get your sorry ass out of trouble."

His face twists, and I smile out of pleasure. Bullseye.

"My little damsel in distress?" He laughs, causing a twinge of hurt in my chest. "You're not my anything, let alone my damsel."

"Why do you look so tattered? Care to enlighten me?" I grin and brush a lock of golden hair out of my eyes.

"I just..." He looks to the side a bit, a light tint of pink on his cheeks as he runs his fingers through his honey-brown locks. "I wasn't expecting the girl who could barely lead us - the girl that l had ridiculed - to throw herself in front of death for me. And I really wasn't expecting that bitch to turn out to be such a badass."

"Jeez, thanks." I say sarcastically. "But I guess I'll take what I can get." He stares at me in an uncomfortable manner, so I try my best to pick up another conversation. "But you did teach me something." I look at him thoughtfully. "You taught me things about leadership - things that were necessary in that mission - and I have to thank you for that."

He gives me an even weirder look and smiles cheekily. "So who is the real leader here?"

"I guess we'll never know, but for now, we can just assume it's me."

"We can settle this after you recover, you know. A spar, no ninjutsu."

"You sure it's wise to challenge such a _badass_ to Taijutsu?" I imitate his low voice.

"Oh, I'll be fine." He smirks, "But will you?"

"Shut up and tell me how the mission went. Where did Hinata and Nature run off to? A secret wedding?"

"It went fine. After you were knocked out Kisura carried you back. I stayed and finished off the rogue and took the leader role. It turns out that that he, Fikiku or Fyoko or whatever his name was, had a bunch of lackeys that ambushed Naruto and Hinata in the underbrush. They knocked them out and arrived just in time to watch me deliver the final couple of blows." He yawns nonchalantly. "We brought them back here and I did the mission report."

"You beat Fuyoku? You did the mission report?" My eyes widen. "You took the leader role?"

"Yeah, I did."

I sigh in dissapointment, realizing that that was supposed to be me. "Ah, fuck me..." I whisper, remoarseful for passing out twice on my first mission. Is it possibe that that was acctually a B ranked mission? It seemed much harder than that.

"Gladly." Kiba grins, raising an eyebrow.

"You're abhorrent." I glare at him, covering my body with the sheets of the bed. "Get out, pervert."

"Don't you mean get in?" He smirks wildly, "You know what they say, beta in the streets alpha in the sheets."

"I'm fucking serious you're scaring me right now. Get out."

"No, not yet. I haven't gotten anything as a reward for answering all your questions-"

"You're disgusting!"

"Calm the fuck down; you can't take a joke. I'm being serious now. I did what you asked and now it's your turn to talk."

I groan and pout slightly, but I give in. "Whatever. Just be quick." He's so sexual it makes me cringe.

"Fine." He starts, his voice wing solemn. "Why did you protect me? I know how much those wind attacks hurt, so why did you take the blow? Why did you risk your life by jumping in front of me the second time and use some kind of freaking amazing jutsu to cut through the wind and fire? You saved my life, and I never forget when people do that for me. I can't just not know why."

I can feel my heart pounding in my chest; my mouth runs dry. I really hoped he wouldn't ask for an explanation, but I also knew he would not let it slide past his nose - that stupid nose.

"You're too slow." I say, lifting a brow. "You didn't look like you'd make it out in time, and I figured that the only way fit for a leader to go down is by protecting a comrade." At least it is half true rather than a total lie. I couldn't tell him, I won't tell him. That pained face of his - oh, the agony I read from his eyes as easily as a book. Pages and pages of words-terror, and weakness-that I hope I never see again. Each syllable contradicts the next, and they leave me in a state of hopelessness.

I hate hope.

"You really piss me off, you know that? I was expecting some deep answer from you for some reason. Why did I expect anything more than a snooty response?"

"I try." I give him a wink before he rises from his chair and makes toward the door.

"You going to be okay?" He says, turning his head slightly to me.

"I should be out of here in no time. Just worry about yourself for once."

"I could say the same for you."

He was out the door before I could give him a piece of my mind. It's much too cumbersome to do anything else; it puts too much strain on me. I curl up in the bleach-white sheets and light blue hospital gown.

_I wipe my cheeks with the back of my hands, but more red-hot tears quickly flood over the dried tears from before. I feel the cold, hard soil of the training field against my legs, and I feel the rough edges of my armour hugging at my stomach. My chest pounds with a dull, hollow ache and my body shakes with overexertion._

_Why is this always how it is?_

_I remember telling myself: If you work hard enough - if you grow strong enough - they'll be proud enough to come claim you as their child. They'll finally come back and meet you - they'll love you._

_Why do I continue to hope when time after time my hope is completely lost?_

_Aiyoshi-sensei had never spoken of my parents, but all he told me was that they abandoned me and he adopted me into his own family. Never once did he tell me anything about them. Their names, appearance, or even their relatives were unknown to me, and they still are._

_Why did they leave me?_

_I had always thought that something was wrong with me. I assumed that they left me because they saw all my flaws and decided that I was broken and could never be fixed. Aiyoshi-sensei told me they didn't deserve me. He told me I held a hidden talent that was unique to me. No one in this world could take that from me and that I should embrace who I am. I did that for a long time, but never once did I stop believing that my parents would come back for me._

_I still believe that if I become stronger they will accept me._

_And I will never stop training._

_The cold air kisses my skin with its frosty breath and turns the pale covering to a rosy pink. Snow clings to my short, blonde hair and seeps into my scalp, chilling me to the bone. My fists continue to pound into the truck of a dying tree, and I can feel every split in my knuckles sting and every shard of rotting wood prodding at the wounds._

_Aiyoshi-sensei gave me the necessary tools to train myself. He gave me tips about developing my own style of fighting and ninjutsu, and he helped me reach places I never would have alone. He let me choose skills I wanted to incorporate into my handbook and he taught me methods of learning those specific skills._

_I've trained relentlessly every day ever since he let me, and in all of those years I showed great progress, but my parents never came back._

_Why do I even try if the results with them are always the same?_

_I don't know why, but I'm not going to quit._

I awaken to the sound of the door closing and watch as a nurse come in and places a stack of paper on the table beside me. She gives me a warm smile before reaching her hand over my forehead.

"You're free to go." She coos, gently picking up the papers. "But you're welcome to stay and rest up until tomorrow. You have a fractured rib and a extremely mild concussion. They both should heal quickly, but be sure to avoid combat and rest for a couple of days." She casts her glance to the side of the room. "Your belongings are over on that table; be sure to remove your hospital clothing before checking out."

The woman stands, grabbing her papers, and paces slowly toward the doorway, but stops as she places her hand on the doorknob.

"That boy... He came by every hour and begged to see you. He seemed very distressed." She pulls the door open and treks outwards without so much as another glance.

I ponder on her words for a moment, but decide to make nothing of them. He already told me that he was worried, and that it was because he knew it was his fault that I got into this place.

I clutch my chest as I stand - nothing hurts; I feel completely and utterly fine all but the exception of a dull pounding in my head. It is nothing that cannot be fixed with a couple of aspirin. I change clothes and toss the gown into a crumpled heap on the bed, leaving it forgotten and in the past. There is no line at the checkout, so I am able to speed through all the nasty paperwork and leave as soon as possible. My first instinct is to sprint to the Inuzuka residence, and that is exactly what I do. My palm knocks loudly on the wooden entryway, and Hana appears as it is swung open.

A burnt smell and multiple loud barks come from inside the house. Hana's forehead is shiny with sweat, and a vein pops out. "Tsukami? Why are you here?"

"Um, is everything okay in there?"

"No, not at all. I burnt down homemade dog treats in the oven and the dogs out back are freaking out because I'm gone. Seriously, I leave for one goddamn second and they go berserk-"

"Hey, uh, is Kiba here by any chance?" I hold my own hand behind my back, shifting my weight from my heels to the ball of my foot.

"Sorry, but he just left about fifteen minutes ago. I think he's headed toward the park."

I nod and throw out a quick thanks before bolting down the front steps out out of sight. I get many irritated yells as I weave in and out of civilians in the streets, but I continue to make my way efficiently toward my destination. It looks to be about two, so I still have plenty of time to do whatever.

The benches, trees and lustrous grass soon fade into my field of vision along with a young man with messy brown hair and a dog at his feet. I slow my pace and approach until he notices me.

"Go back to the hospital. Go rest." He says, staring downward at Akamaru.

"Still ticked off? I see how it is." I plop down beside him on the bench and sit back.

"Go back."

"No."

"Go."

I turn to face him, narrowing my eyes. "No." He shakes his head and sighs.

"Well if you're going to stay you might as well explain something to me."

I cock my head and grin. "And what might that something be?"

"That move... the one you used to cut through those attacks. What the hell was that?"

I place my elbows on my knees and use my hands to support my chin. "To be honest, I don't know. I call it Tokesaki; it's a jutsu I developed, but I haven't really mastered it yet." I want to say that it is somewhat a variation of the Kitsuyuki's forbidden and hidden jutsu, but obviously that isn't something that he should know. "There are three stages, and I used the third back then. It was by pure luck that I was able to execute it. It really takes a lot out of me."

I glance at Kiba and receive an expectant look. Is he wanting more?

"I'm still thinking about a better name because I don't think Tokesaki really fits. It's kinda like an attack that changes the form of ice energy. In the first stage it's like electricity. It has no cutting power but it can stun or shock target with the cold from ice. The second stage takes the form of rocks - sedimentary rocks. It freezes and eats away thin, fragile layers of skin or whatever contacted which can break away at slight movement, just like sedimentary rock. Together they can compact together and stay strong, but alone they will shatter like weak glass. It works a lot like liquid nitrogen, though, it can freeze limbs off, but it can only stay cold because I chill it with my chakra supply. The third stage is a combination of the two that takes the form of fire. It is so cold that it halts all molecular movement and can freeze just about anything. It's like absolute zero and has something to do with Bose-Einstine condensates. Wind freezes to snow, fire is coated in ice and it disintegrates and forms hollow shells, water turns to a glass-like ice, electric currents stop completely, and rock and dirt compacts into balls of dirty, rocky ice. Basically, all phenomenon of nature is brought to a halt."

"I'd be lying if I said I understood anything you just said... Those were some funky words." Kiba buries his face in his hands and wipes his hair back before looking at me. "How in the world did you make that jutsu?"

"I can't say that I developed it alone." I smile and stand, bringing my fists in front of my face in a defensive position. "Spar?"

"Go home, Tsukami."

"Oh, c'mon, Kiba." I whine, rolling my eyes. "What happened to that fighting spirit? You scared?"

"Nope, but I don't want to hurt you when you're weak."

"Me? Weak? You wouldn't be able to land a single scratch on my skin." I smirk and park my hands on my hips, leaning my face inches from his. "You're scared."

"I'm not going to give in to your games. I'm smarter than you take me for."

My smile melts away. "You're no fun!"

I take his wrist and yank him to his feet, dragging toward the training ground with sheer determination. He plants his feet firmly, and I am unable to more him anymore. I whirl around, staring up at his face. It's slightly embarrassing how much taller he is than me, but I shouldn't let that be a reason to give up. I'll switch to a new tactic - one I'm sure he'll fall for.

I lock my fingers together, bending forward slightly, and plump my lips with a cute pout. I wiggle my shoulders slightly for emphasis, "Please, Kiba-kun? If you can win I might be able to give you a reward~ Maybe something like you had in mind earlier?"

He doesn't even bat an eye; he just stands there, unphased.

"Not now. Don't tease me. I'll spar tomorrow."

I sigh and unclasp my fingers, accepting defeat. "Whatever." I scoff disappointedly, walking away from the scene. "You better be at Training Ground 10 at noon tomorrow or else I'll come looking for you."

I turn around and give him an icy, hardened glare. "And you best not get on my bad side before a spar."

**A/N: By the way, in the last chapter I said that Kiba's chairs nature was earth, but that was just a guess because I needed to give him one. So really, just... I don't know what I'm trying to say here. Anyway, I've been conflicted between having more action or romance in this story. Do far it's been mostly action, but what do you think?**

**Reviews, Follows, and Favorites are greatly appreciated!**

**Check out my Instagram page at { mikasu . kitsuyuki } to see a picture of Mikasu/Tsukami drawn by me. (No I am not shamelessly self **

**promoting on my own story ahahah).**


	7. Diary

**Chapter Seven: Diary**

It is hot - scorching hot - and the heavy humidity doesn't help whatsoever. It's only 10:00 and it feels like it's about 100 degrees.

I can't imagine how hot it will be at noon.

I sit on my bed, still clothed in my pajamas, and twirl my beach-waved hair around my fingers. And for some reason all I can think about is Kiba.

Actually, all I can think about it his hair.

Those glorious, tousled light brown locks with flecks of dark, honey gold-embedded heaven - my, god; what's wrong with me? I flip over to my stomach and nuzzle my nose into my hands. My cold hands pick up a sense of warmness in my cheeks, and I bury my face deeper into my palms.

I wish I could do this with Kiba's hair.

Wait, _what?_

I just need some more sleep.

I roll onto my side and wrap my arms around a pillow, bunching my legs up near my chest as a sigh trickles from my lips. The final thoughts of my mind linger into my dreams, despite how much I wished that they wouldn't.

It felt like fifteen minutes, just a quick nap. No big deal; however, little did I know at the time when I gave in to my conscious I also devoted myself to speedily dressing and preparing for a spar.

I slept for about two hours, give or take.

I didn't have to time to braid my hair, so I ran a brush though the wavy, golden stands and left it down. I grab a small pullstring backpack and put a couple of waterbottles in as I head toward the door. I throw on a pair of black, cloth shorts and a loose, maroon tanktop and my usual sandals before tripping down a flight of stairs and almost falling from multiple rooftops.

Just my luck? I imagine things to only get better from here.

The blistering sun - may I add that the sun is a flaming ball of heat and that I absolutely despise fire - seems to be mocking me; I can't disguise my irritation with it literally smiling down on me as if it isn't ruining my day.

Thankfully, I arrive at the training ground before Kiba, so I decide to tie my hair to a braid and warm up a little bit. And by _warm up _I mean sweating a gallon after just one lap around the field and a few stretches.

"Oi, Rei." I crane my head in the direction of the voice, my eyes meeting Kiba's own.

"Don't call me that, you late suckup." I say, closing my eyes as I pull my elbow behind my head.

"Be glad I showed up at all, Reichan." He counters, smirking while removing this jacket to expose a black tee-shirt.

I roll my eyes. "You suggested this." I shrug before casting my bag onto the ground. Kiba follows behind me as we pace to a sparring rectangle, and he takes his place on the other side of the field. I hover my fists in front of my face as a shield, aligning my hips sideways, and bend my knees for a solid base. My feet are turned inward, and my weight rests on my toes. "Be ready, because I'm not afraid to revive all my anger toward you."

Kiba mirrors my position, but with less military-like precision. "Don't worry about me, but how will you do? I've said this before, worry about yourself."

"You think I'm worried about you?" I laugh, suppressing the urge to double over in amusement. "Not now, not ever."

"Says the one who saved me _not once, not twice, but three times._" He says, mimicking my voice.

"My voice is not that high!"

"Shut up and spar. Your move."

I narrow my eyes and edge closer, gentle steps delivering my frame toward his inch by inch. He does the same, slowly approaching until I lunge, my fist clenched toward him. He redirects my blow to the right and blocks another, followed by another, and another. He takes a step backward with every attack he disengages, and I gain another step with every faked punch.

Kiba retreats to the right, "Time out." His fingertips fall to the hem of his shirt, slowly lifting the material until it no longer rests on his body. He tosses it to the side, no longer hiding underneath a shirt. "Black was probably the worst color choice for today."

"Tch, you boys are lucky that you can take your shirt off in public." I scoff, picking at my loose top. "I'm so sweaty I would kill to take this off."

"Then do it." Kiba smirks. "You've got something under it right?"

"Why wouldn't I?" I retort, eyeing him with envy. "But I'm not taking it off."

"Didn't you just say that you would kill to take it off?"

"Pervert." I whisper loud enough for him to hear.

"What are you? _Insecure?" _I cast my gaze to the ground at his mocking tone, shuffling my feet slightly. This didn't really strike a nerve on me, but he had gone too far and needed a lesson or two."Oh, god - shit!" His voice audibly softens with regret. "I-I didn't know - fuck - I'm so sorry, Tsukami!" He comes into range enough to plant a firm fist into his gut, hitting a weak point. In response to my chuckles he snarls. "God dammit, Rei!"

"You should have seen your face!" I laugh, gripping the bottom of the maroon cloth. Kiba's face instantly reddens, as if he wasn't expecting me to oblige to remove my shirt. For a moment I silently thank myself for wearing a sports bra instead of a regular one. "You're lucky that I'm not insecure." I fling my top aside, exposing my mildly chiseled abdominal muscles and the black material over my chest.

"How about we just call this off-"

I ignore his protests and ram forward once again, infusing chakra in order to launch myself over his head and initiate a front full. As I whirl around, I slash my right foot clockwise to dig my heel into the side of his face, which he dodges by ducking. His sudden movement throws me off balance, but I quickly recuperate and twist my body to catch myself in my arms. I roll to my back and by using my arms to whip my lower body onto my feet and fling my torso upward. I maneuver my face to the right to avoid Kiba's punch and push his opposite arm down as he uses his other fist. My feet automatically slide to the left to dodge as Kiba throws his fist toward my jaw for an uppercut. I am able to latch my hands onto his arm and lean into the direction of his force in time to harness his own strength. He digs his feet into the soil to slow himself as he throws his other fist toward me.

I release him in the nick of time and charge as he is tumbles along the to end up turf like a tossed stone; nevertheless, he shakes his head to regain his composure and meets my hands, locking his fingers with mine. Growling slightly, he presses his own energy against mine, opposing it equally if not more. We freeze in time for a few moments, trembling under each other's might.

I guess I should've expected the outcome. I can't deny that men are stronger than women, but I vehemently oppose saying they are superior. All it takes is a great deal of skill to overpower a man, and, unfortunately for me, this isn't a situation where I can use his own force against himself.

I gasp as my arms collapse and Kiba's force wins, falling over my own just as his body. His hands drawl to my wrists and press into the soil. His elbows reside beside me, his legs part over my body, a knee on each side, and his nose rests only a few inches from my surprised face; although, he looks just as surprised as me. My eyes trail down to our bodies, nearly pressed against each other. My cheeks neither redden nor pale, but remain unphased. My lips quiver as my eyes meet his once more, my shock morphing into mild anger.

"I said, let's finish this spar tomorrow." He demands. I have the sudden impulse to run my fingers through those honey-brown locks of his, but immediately eradicate that thought from my mind. I nod absentmindedly, finally remembering my personality.

This guy... he's so damn pushy; I hate it.

"Get off of me." I growl, pushing him away. He stands slowly, brushing the dirt from his clothes.

"I'm sorry I -"

"Yeah, yeah. Just meet me here tomorrow at the same time." I say, refusing to show him my face once more. "Just don't make me hate you even more." I grab my shirt and cram it in my bag before taking off toward an eatery. I figure that people wear weirder stuff in the village, so no one would mind if I kept my shirt off.

Apparently I was wrong.

I kick a couple a guys in the shin before I find Hinata outside of a bakery stand.

"Hinata!" I call, running toward the deep violet-haired girl. Sweat glistens on my pale, supple skin, rolling gently down my body. "Oi! I have a favor to ask!"

"T-Tsukami-chan..." She smiles softly. "What is it?"

"I want you to cut my hair for me." I give her a delighted, close-eyed smile and press her hands between mine.

"C-Cut your hair...!" She questions, her eyes widening. "But your hair is so long and beautiful. A-Are you sure?"

"Well, I don't want to chop it all off." I say, poking my lip. "But having hair all the way down my back is just so impractical. I'd rather have it... about here." I put my hand just below my breast, earning a nod from Hinata.

"Alright, Tsukami-chan." She coos, handing the clerk the designated amount of money for her sweets. "Let's go to my house." She tucks the paper bag into her pack and begins the trek to her abode, and I follow close behind her. We arrive in a couple of minutes and enter through the front door. I gawk silently to myself, not wanting to embarrass her, at the size of her house. Well, she is heir to the Hyūga Clan's leader.

Her room is painted beige and houses a plain, cream bedspread with several pink and lilac throw pillows. A wooden desk sits in the corner of the room along with a bookcase and large window. The room appears clean and clutterless - perfection.

As we pace into the bathroom, Hinata brings a chair in front of a full body mirror. She fetches a pair of sicsors, a brush, and a towel and folds it over my shoulders. Removing the tie to my braid, she brushes the golden locks and wets them before making the first cut. I watch in awe as the long, strawberry blonde strands descend to the floor and float away from my reach. After finishing, she removes the towel and cascades my hair over my shoulders, smiling fondly of her work.

"It's gorgeous, Tsukami. T-The contrast of the light, strawberry-tinted blonde and dirty blonde streaks is simply stunning. And the beachy waves are so pretty. B-But..! I guess it's your opinion that matters. D-Do you like it?"

"Thank you... thank you so much, Hinata." I stand and meet her gaze. "I love it so much! Now it's short enough to wear down!" I hug her tightly, meaning every word. "I can't thank you enough."

She smiles, "I-I'm happy to do it."

"Here, let me help you clean up."

I take the towel as she runs to get a broom and dustpan. I dump the hair into a trashcan and hold the dustpan while she sweeps up the remaining hair. After tidying up, I bid my thanks once more and say farewell, promising to meet her for lunch and training tomorrow. I meander around town a bit before a thought pops into my mind; I quickly head back home, locking the door behind me.

I fold my fingers swiftly into various seals and infuse a drop of crimson blood into the jutsu code, the reaction causing Mirami to emerge from a cloud of smoke. She yips at the sight of me, swishing her gray, speckled tail.

"Yo, Mika - er - Tsukami." She grins wider and sits onto the cream carpet. "You called?"

"Hey, Mirami." I greet, running my fingers through the fur of her neck. I scratch and fondle the soft fur, and in response I earn a purr. "How's the Namiko Project going?"

"Pretty well. The Kitsuyuki residence has been cleaned thoroughly, and all members have been accounted for. At least, all except one." Her eyes find mine as she places a paw on the navy bandanna around her neck. I stare at the clan symbol - my clan symbol. That ever-so-comforting nine-spoken snowflake now embodies the source of my pain. I remain silent, watching the agony spread across her cute, fluffy face. "Aiyoshi-sama."

I gasp and bury my face in her warm pelt, wishing my tears would warp to another dimension and out of my eyes. "D-Does that mean...?" I don't have to look up to see her nodding.

"His body was stolen." She finishes my sentence with pinpoint precision. She nuzzles my cheek and forces me to look at her. "It'll be okay-"

"If there's anyone who knows me best, it's you, Mirami." I start, "You should know that I hate hope. Despise it."

"Be grateful that I'm trying to comfort you, Tsukami. I'm feeling the exact same pain as you."

As long as I've known her, it didn't take long for me to understand her affection. Her heart is wired almost exactly like mine, and what she says is never sugarcoated. She nuzzles me again, rising to her paws.

"Summon me back again in exactly a minute. I have some things I need to bring to you." She disappears in a flash, leaving my open arms empty. The next minute goes by excruciatingly slow, and by the time the clock ticks the final time, I'm more than ready for her company.

Mirami reappears with a scroll in her maw, and I catch it deftly after she tosses it toward me. I unroll it carefully and examine the summoning seal.

"More summoning?" She nudges my hands, silently ordering me to undo the seal. I nod, biting my thumb, and dapple the black ink with claret. A sack of money, a pile of clothes, and various items appear. Among those random items are scrolls and a newspaper clipping-covered notebook. I pick through the scrolls, and unroll one. "Sealed summoning scrolls inside a summoning scroll? What are you getting at?"

"The red one summons more money from the vault. Since you now rightfully own everything of the Kitsuyuki's, you might want to keep that once confidential. The green one summons ninja tools such as kunai and shuriken from the compound. The other ones include ice style jutsu formulas and unused summoning scrolls."

"What do you mean by ice-style jutsu? Does that mean-"

"Rest assured, my clan has the forbidden and hidden jutsus of the Kitsuyuki under lock and key. They're safe with us." An allayed sigh escapes my lips.

"Well, what about this book?" I hoist it up and gaze at it as if it is a nugget of gold. "What is it?"

"It's your old diary, Tsukami. Don't you remember it?" Mirami cocks her head, smiling amusedly. The tips of my lips curl up slightly as I flip through the pages. I return to the first page and read the entry.

_November 17th 2005:_

_Aiyoshi-sama gave me this book for my 7th birthday. (Ps: that's today) He told me to write down my feelings in this book every day. I don't get what he means by that. I will try my best to do what he says. If I do everything he tells me, my parents will see how good I am. They'll come back for me. Aiyoshi-sama never told me anything about them. But I can tell that this isn't my real family. Everyone else has super blonde hair, but mine looks reddish blonde. If I get really smart maybe my parents will come back. That's my only hope._

The memories flood back to me like a typhoon, and I can't suppress the urge to read the rest of the entries.

_November 18th, 2005:_

_Today wasn't fun. We had a celebration for my birthday but no one showed up. I invited so many people but no one came. Aisana-sama put make up on me and put me in a dress just like a regular day. I hate dresses. She said that a lady should wear a dress. I don't want to be a lady, I want to be a ninja just like Aiyoshi-sama and Aisuru-kun._

_November 19th, 2005:_

_I told Aisana that I didn't want to be a lady today. She got angry and and yelled at me. I didn't understand why she was angry, but whatever it was she was probably right. She's always right. I didn't like the tone of her voice, so I argued anyway. I called her Aisana without -sama because I was really mad. Aiyoshi-sensei understood me and told me I could be anything I wanted to be. I told him I wanted to be a ninja like him. He told me to call him Aiyoshi-sensei and that my training would start tomorrow. I'm really excited. I can become a really good ninja and prove to my real parents that I am good enough._

_November 20th 2005:_

_Aiyoshi-sensei gave me a piece of paper and a pen when I got to the training field. He told me to right down all the skills I wanted to have. I told him I wanted to be fast, and flexible. He said it was a good choice because supposedly our clan is naturally good at those things. He told me he was going to do everything in his power to teach me those things. He said he might even teach me our hidden jutsu. That will impress my parents._

_November 21st 2005:_

_Aiyoshi-sensei made me run a lot today. My side still hurts from the cramps. I did everything willingly because I knew Aiyoshi-sensei was making me do this to get strong. I want to be strong. He hired a professional acrobat to teach me to tumble and do super cool "agile movements." I'm still not strong enough though. I have to train more._

_November 30th, 2005:_

_I'm sorry I haven't written in so long. I've been really busy training. So far I can already do multiple back handsprings in a row. Aiyoshi-sensei said I have "encredible apitide" for tumbling. I'm not sure what that means but I think its good. He said that when I can run a mile in 7 and a half minutes he will let me train with Aisuru-kun in ninjutsu. I have to train harder._

_December 9th, 2005:_

_I've been running a lot. I don't have time to write. My mile time is eight minutes flat. I need to train a little harder and I can do it._

_December 12th, 2005:_

_I passed out for the first time today. Aisana-sama told me not to push myself so hard. I told her I needed to be stronger to get my real parents to love me and come back. She covered her eyes and ran out of the room. Did I do something wrong?_

_December 13th, 2005:_

_By body hurts a lot. Everything is really really sore. It hurts to move but I train anyway. I'm starting to think that I will never get it down to 7:30. I'm stuck at 7:50. This is why my parents left me. It's because they knew I was a failure. There's something wrong with me and they could tell. How could they tell?_

_December 14th, 2005:_

_I skipped my tutoring today to train more. Aiyoshi-sensei scolded me. He seemed proud though. He told me that I should please no one but myself, but I told him that was too selfish. He smiled and told me to meet him and Aisuru-kun tomorrow at the training grounds. I'm excited._

_December 15th, 2005:_

_I'm not training in ninjutsu yet. I trained with Aiyoshi-sensei and Aisuru-kun all day in Taijutsu. When I first started training Aiyoshi was teaching me speed and tumbling. He said those would help me in Taijutsu. He said they would be my ways of "evading and acelerating" Apparently those are really important._

_December 20th, 2005:_

_I've been so tired lately. Taijutsu is really hard. Aiyoshi-sensei told me he wouldn't pick up training again until after the 25th. I'm going to practice more and impress him when we get back._

_December 25th, 2005:_

_Aisuru-kun gave a piece of navy armour today. He told me to wear it while training. I felt bad because I didn't get him anything. He said it is the thought that counts. Training starts tomorrow._

_December 26th, 2005:_

_Aisuru-kun and I sparred today. It ended in a tie. I usually lose spars. Aiyoshi-sensei was impressed and said I was inproving. He told me that he could tell that my muscles were becoming more made me feel really happy. I'll do anything it takes to feel happy more often. I don't care if it hurts._

_January 1st, 2006:_

_Its a new year now. I promised myself that I will train harder than ever. I will never give up on my dreams and I will do everything I can to meet my parents expectations. I can now do flips and concentrate chakra to jump higher. Aiyoshi-sensei praised me by saying I was "like a navy blur soaring high above my opponents' heads." He told me to never look back and keep trudging ahead. He said I still have so much more to learn, but he believe if anyone can do it, its me._

_January 5th, 2006:_

_I beat Aisuru-kun in a spar today. I realized that I'm stronger than I think I am. I still don't want to stop training though. I want to be even stronger. Aiyoshi -sensei told me he would teach me ninjutsu after I can land an attack on him in a a spar. I know that will be hard so I have decided to stop writing for now to focus on becoming better at Taijutsu. I promise I'll be back soon. There will be a lot to update you on._

I am unable to suppress the tears as a flip the page, finding a blank sheet of old paper. I became a protetgé with Aiyoshi-sensei and Aisuru-kun's aid. I was blinded by finding my parents and was unable to recognize my own strength. I don't even know where I got that idea about my parents. I changed a lot since then. I was young, optimistic, selfless, hopeful and blissful. How is it that I could morph into such a selfish, ignorant, cold-hearted shinobi? Sure-I care about what happens to those around me, but I wouldn't want to sacrifice myself for someone else. I've done it before, but I didn't want to. I don't know why I did what I did, but I also do know why.

Why is it that I saved Kiba three times? I know the answer, but I also don't. If that makes any sense.

I pick up a pen and begin to scribble words onto that lifeless page.

_July 3rd, 2014:_

_It's been a number of years and I've finally returned. I'm now sixteen years old and a chūnin of Konohagakure. I've come such a long way since back then, and I regret a lot of my decisions. The Kitsuyuki were destroyed and I, as ignorant and selfish as I've become, ran away out of fear. I was brought to Konoha by a young man - a quite annoying one, I might add - and I registered as a citizen. I'm beginning to move on, but it still hurts; likewise, it hurts being unsure whether I am running from or facing my past by moving on. I don't know if I'll be writing anymore. It all depends on if I need a release of emotions or not. If I do not return, assume that this is farewell._


	8. Magnetism and Repulstion

**A/N: ****This chapter contains literally 99.4% cussing, arguing, and suggested themes.**** To all those male readers out there: please have some tolerance. This chapter is significantly smaller than my others, whoops. Only 8 pages. *sigh***

**Chapter Eight: Magnitism and Repulsion**

You know what the worst feeling to wake up to is?

Upset stomach, headache, sore throat, stuffy nose, and a puddle of red on your brand new, white sheets.

And you know what the worst thing to realize in a time like this is?

I forgot to buy feminine products at the store, it's eleven o'clock, and I have a spar with Kiba today at noon.

How could this day get any worse?

I run to the store looking like an infected wolf and walk out looking even worse. When I arrive home I make a beeline straight to the bathroom to hurl up the empty contents of my stomach. How delightful. The instant ramen temporarily allays the discomfort in my throat, but, in retaliation, the virus forces that out of my stomach, too. My tissues seem to vanish only minutes after opening a new box, and my sheets take at least twenty minutes to scrub clean.

I throw on a black sports bra and spandex before covering myself with a gray, oversized, long sleeve top and a pair of maroon sweatpants. My hair and face look like absolute and utter _shit, _and I feel the exact same way. Messy waves cascade over my shoulders in stands of soft blonde, and its usual coconut aroma is replaced my a smell of sickness.

Seriously - and I mean _seriously -_ how could this day get any worse?

It probably isn't in my best interest to jinx it; for if this day were to worsen, it would probably have to do with that fleabag.

A knock on the door supports my hypothesis and once glance through the peek hole confirms my suspicion.

"Oi, Reikoku, it's twelve-thirty." Kiba's irritated voice is followed by angry knocks on the door. I sigh before swinging the door open, and I greet Kiba's surprised face by wiping my nose on my sleeve.

"What do you want?" I wheeze, my voice muffled my a stuffy nose.

"Well then," He scoffs, taking a look at my plight. "I guess I see why you didn't show up."

"No shit, wow, I didn't know you were so smart." I retort, sniffling with a roll of my eyes.

"What's that odor? It smells like copper."

"You smell like copper, douchebag. Don't insult the smell of my goddamn house."

"Are you pmsing?"

I grit my teeth, contemplating for a moment on my anger, and finally give to slapping him across the face. My hand stung slightly after the ring on skin against skin died down. "You know," I growl, narrowing my eyes, "periods are just things that girls make up so they don't have to hook up with you."

"Oh, geez, I'm sorry." He says ironically, glaring at me with his hand on his throbbing cheek. "I didn't mean to offend you. How could I ever repay you, princess? Bring you ice cream and cookies?"

"Yeah, that'll work." I say, nodding. He stands there as if expecting something as a moment of silence washes over.

"So are you going to let me in or leave me out here?"

"Not until you bring me what you promised."

"I didn't promise you anything. It was sarcasm-"

"Dammit, you fucking motherfucker, bring me some goddamn ice cream and cookies or I will take a royal shit in your fucking sink."

"My god, woman, is that your favorite word?"

"I'm just pissed and happy at the same time." I scoff, looking aside.

"Aw, you're happy to see me? How cute."

"Tch. Never in a lifetime, loser. I'm just happy that you're bringing me ice cream and cookies. Now do me a favor and get your ass to the store." I push him toward the stairs, earning a frown. "Vanilla and chocolate chip!" I slam the door.

Oh, how I hate that guy.

After closeing the door and plop into bed, feeling suddenly ill. I take a tissue and blow my nose before wrapping my arms around a navy body pillow and closing my eyes. My head pounds against my skull in synchronization with my heart, and the goosebumps all over my skin make way for sweat.

**XXX**

I wake to the sound of metal against glass, and I my eyes find Kiba in the kitchen with a spoon in the ice cream box. He scoops the frozen vanilla treat into an opaque glass bowl and places a warm cookie on the side.

"How the hell did you get in my house?" I blurt, causing him to turn around and pace toward me, bowl in hand.

"Looks like you calmed down a little bit."

"Answer me you twat. How did you get in my house?"

"Did you just call me a vag?-"

"What the hell! I called you a jerk!"

"You left the door unlocked, sheesh." He hands me the ice cream, and I sit up. "Quit being so foul mouthed and be greatful that I'm even here."

"Why should I be?" I say as I shove an enormous bite of ice cream down my throat. "You're lowsy."

Kiba turns away from me. "How the hell did my dad put up with this every month for so long?" I narrow my eyes at the back of his head. What did he just say?

I polish off the remaining ice cream and savor the freshly baked cookie before turning on my side. "I'm going to bed."

"Good for you." I hear the door creak open and slam. Silence.

**XXX**

The question I should be asking is: Why the hell is Kiba still in my apartment and why is he sleeping on the foot of my bed?

But the question I am asking is: why the hell does he look so... cute?

Forget that: why is Kiba sleeping on the foot of my bed?

His roughly carved biceps wrap around a throw pillow and his legs are intwined with the comforter like a woven basket. His chest rises and falls from underneath his thin, cotton white tee-shirt - that oh-so-thin material that appears to transfer a lucid image of what lies below. That small, fang tooth peeking barely from his pouting lips seems to bob up and down as breath escapes his slightly parted mouth. His face is near my foot, so near that they almost touch, and his brown-copper hair falls loosely about his face. He seems so peaceful when he's sleeping, like he's a totally not a abrasive jerk.

I need to hit him. In the face. Hard. With my lips.

Wait, _what?_

I have been finding myself asking that question a lot more lately, but he just looks so innocent - like I could confess to him something from the bottom of my heart and he'd welcome me with open arms.

But, wait,_ there's nothing to confess._

It has nothing to do with him - nothing. He could be _Choji_ and I still would be out of my

mind if he was sleeping at the bottom off my bed - any male for that matter. I'm like an ill, useless dog in heat.

_Did I just use a fucking ovulating dog as a simile?_

Oh, god, I hate hormones.

I am filled with terror as Kiba's eyes slowly open; he appears to be in a daze, but he won't be oblivious for long.

"Go back to bed." He says, getting up and standing beside me. His hand reaches out and rests on my forehead, and my face instantly warms; I can feel the redness all over. I bite my lip, eyes widening. "High fever."

"Don't touch me!" I swat his hand away and flip over so that I don't have to look at him. "Dumbass."

"Sorry for trying to help."

"You make things worse. Leave."

"Gladly."

"Shut up."

"Didn't you just tell me to leave?"

I lift myself up and face him, vexed and nonetheless embarrassed. I squeeze a pillow to my chest and furrow my brow. My lips quiver, but my eyes seethe. A heated rush depowers me, forcing my eyes to avert as I turn my face to the side. I can feel the color-let me add that this is a rage-fueled color-change in my face, no matter how hard I resist it.

"Why would you think it's okay for you to sleep on my bed?" I growl, still refusing to meet his eyes. He lifts his shoulders and gives a confused look.

"Huh?"

"Why were you on my damn bed?"

"Because I was tired?"

I swear I want to kiss - _um, I mean kill _\- him so badly it hurts.

I need help. My mind says one thing and my body says another, and I'll admit that I'm blatantly confound. I feel oppressed, infuriated, and flustered at once; I want to scream at Kiba for messing me up, but I also want him _to_ _mess me up - and oh my god, I hate myself._

I hate everything. I hate Kiba. I hate being female.

All of my problems would be solved if he would leave, but at the same time I silently wonder why I slightly want him to stay.

It's just physical attraction: I promise it is. I hate him. A lot. He's annoying and vain and conceited and abrasive and loud and rude and he treats me like shit, yet he also is in my house right now caring for me while I'm sick. But I still don't like him. For a moment when we first met I thought we could become friends, but all that changed when he showed his true colors. He's uptight and analogous to me-I hate people like me-so I hate him with a burning passion. We don't fit, we oppose-friction sparks a fire between us that separates us. And I definitely am not going to douse those flames because I'm scared of what will happen if I do.

Knock me down and I'll stand back up, fighting stronger. If he's so much like me, then putting out those flames would be a mistake.

I've said it before: physical attraction does not equal emotional attraction. I'm still recovering from Aisuru-kun and them, no matter how often I tell myself I'm over it I know I'm not. I lie to myself all the time.

I know I don't like him. I'm positive; I'm not lying this time. I mean-who could like him? He's hard to get along with.

I find that my thoughts lately have always had something to do with him. Fate has a funny way of punishing me for my wrongdoings. He's been an active figure in my life ever since I came to this place, and, for some reason, he's behind every door I open.

I hate it, yet I don't mind it sometimes; it's like I'm completely bipolar. I have mixed emotions for everything. There's so much that I understand that likewise confuses me.

I'm conflicted; I'm always so god damn conflicted. I don't know why, but I also do know why.

Dammit, Mikasu, just make up your mind already.

He likes dogs, I prefer cats. He likes red, I like blue. He likes chocolate, I like vanilla. He's an idiot douchbag, I'm an insolent jackass. Well, those last two are actually the same, but that's not the point. It's a healthy, hatred-fueled relationship, and I wouldn't dream of anything more than that; however, I fret over this urge to wrap his arms around me and snuggle into his warm, comforting chest.

And that, on it's own, is enough to make me want to bash my head on a rock multiple times. Nothing about that is even somewhat healthy.

And by rock I mean those rock hard abs of his-_I mean just look at him_.

Forget that, because I'm not healthy in the first place. This thobbing headache has me possessed by my own stubbornness and confusion. If there's anything that applies to me right now it's confused and stubborn.

But one thing does make sense to me: I hate him, he hates me, and I definitely need some fresh air.

Scratch that, nothing I say makes sense.

And, in the midst of my terribly fluxuating personality war, I remember my promise with Hinata. The mortifying part is, I'm going to have to talk to him while I'm in this plight.

I was so deep in thought I didn't even notice he had left the room. The light from underneath the bathroom door flickers out and the door knob jiggles uncertainly. The sound of tap water from the sinks ceases as the door swings wide open, revealing a tired-looking young man. His hair looks like a rat's nest, but somehow manages to look somewhat okay. Actually, it looks terrible, but I can't bring myself to merely think that.

It's just a phase. _It's just a phase. __**It's just a phase.**_

My head swirls as I sit up from my bed. Kiba gives me a glare, biting his lip in concern.

"Sit back down." He whines. "Didn't I tell you to sleep?"

"I'm done sleeping." I say, voice groggy with soreness. My throat burns as I swallow, causing me to flinch. "I promised Hinata I'd meet her for lunch."

"You're not going anywhere in that state." He growls, crossing his arms.

"Damn, you're protective. You say it as if you really care." I sigh ironically. "I made a promise that I intend to keep."

"Hinata was worried and already came, so I told her you were sick and would reschedule. It's way past lunch time, Reikoku."

"Quit calling me that, it's annoying as hell." I scoff, laying back down in the bed. "How would you like it if I called you Inuzuka? Isn't it annoying?"

"No," He breathes, sitting on my low, rounded table, "not really. In fact, it's more normal than calling me by my first name."

"Then I guess it's just you, _Inuzuka." _

"No, actually, _It's just you."_

He runs his fingers through his hair, leaning back. I suddenly feel small - slightly self-conscious, even - for a second under his prying eyes, and I avert my gaze elsewhere. I can sense a smirk on his face as I nibble on my lip. I roll over to face away and feel instantly relieved, but I can still feel his eyes on me.

"I can feel you staring at me, dude." I cuddle into the blankets, sighing.

"Only because you have a stray hair sticking straight up! It's driving me nuts." He gets up from the table and I feel the bed dip. "Here."A slight tug on my scalp indicates him brushing my hair down. _Oh my god he's touching my hair. Lord, help me._

"I said, don't touch me!" I whirl around, sitting up. He jumps back, his face contorting.

"Dammit, I didn't touch you!"

"Don't come anywhere near me, got it? You mutt!" I grunt, expressing my frustration. I clamp my fist into the sheets, barring my teeth. I honestly am not that angry, but I argue out of my pent up emotions.

"Who you calling a mutt? You're some satanic fox!"

"Demented? Please, am I really so worthless to you that I'm demonic?" I yell, feeling actual rage.

"Yeah, you are! You're absolutely terrible! You're violent and impulsive and rude!" He spits, venom dripping from his lips.

"Same goes for you, jackass. How about you check yourself for once! You're not much better!"

"Then why am I even here? In fact, I don't even know the answer to that! Because I definitely don't care!"

"Really? Then go ahead and leave. I'm done with your games."

I can't tell you how scary it is to me to actually feel hurt by him storming out the door, slamming it so hard that the whole room shakes. Tears spring in my eyes for no reason at all, because I hate him. I guess I hate him so much it would make me cry.

_But in reality, I know I'm crying because he hates me proabably more than I hate him, and that is something I wish I didn't know._

It seems we have a thread of magnetism, and a stronger blade of repulsion.

**Ooh, drama. :) The plot will progress massively soon, and I had to get in a chapter with a fight! Hehehe. Question: does anyone want a Kiba's POV? R&amp;R, Thanks! .^. **


	9. Seventeen

**Chapter Nine: Seventeen**

I ignored him for two days. Totally and upfront, I ignored him. We had passed each other in town a couple of times, and each time we would avoid each other completely. We made no eye contact, no accidental brushing of arms or exchanging of hellos. I built a fence between us and didn't intend to install a gate. That was the end of it, I didn't want to talk to him again. I gave him so many chances, and I was done with him. I believed he deserved this, and I intended to keep it up until he had the gall to be a man about it. I didn't care what he was going thorugh, and I absolutely did not care or regret it.

I was angry with him for making me angry with myself, if that makes any sense. So, in short, I was mad at him because he made me mad at myself for making him hate me. I told myself I didn't care, and believed it. That is, until I realized what day it was.

Allow me to explain.

In those two days I had recovered from my illness and tamed my hormones as well as went to lunch with Hinata. Tsunade summoned me for a mission involving the Kitsuyuki set for a couple of days in advance, and when I wasn't busy, I was training with Mirami, my summoning fox.

Miami updated me on the status of the Namiko Project, otherwise known as the Kitsuyuki Cleanup Investigation. Also, let me add that it has something to do with the mission Tsunade had summoned me for. I worked on my Tokesaki, which I renamed Reitōsu. I'll admit it was rough, so I kept it down to a minimum. It's still hard to manipulate, but I have faith I can master it eventually.

I helped Mirami hone her combat skills. Being a fox, she's related to dogs-no matter how much she wishes she wasn't-so she has a keen sense of smell. She's small, swift, and quiet, but lacking in power.

I had a spar with Naruto, too, but it was no fun. I could tell he was holding back, and it made me feel degrated. Better yet, after the spar Naruto promptly informed me that he was going on some 'top secret mission' and that it would be a while. It got on my nerves, but, of course, I didn't want to rain on his parade, so I kept my mouth shut.

Right, moving on.

I still didn't want to see Kiba, though, and I didn't care if I had to run to the end of the Earth to avoid him. And that leads us up to today, July 7th, also known as Kiba's birthday. That's when I began to feel bad.

You know, it's kinda relieving to learn I'm not completely heartless.

It was Tsume who told me about his birthday. We ran into each other in the shops and the topic popped up. Thankfully, she had and hopefully still has no idea about my general disliking of her beloved son. She urged me to buy him something, and I lied, saying I would, just so I could get away from her.

I sit in my room, stareing at the empty box in my palms with a conflicted look on my face. I play with my thumbs and brush over the box. I told her I would, but I told myself I wouldn't. Still feeling conflicted, I stuff the box in my bag as I leave the apartment with my usual attire on.

Tsume told me where to go, and it surprises me that my feet are taking me in that direction. Once again, my body and mind are telling me different things, but if the body refuses the mind there's nothing the mind can do about it.

I spy him and his teammates through a window in the barbeque shop, reluctantly entering. Shino and Kiba sit side by side in the booth, so I slide in next to Hinata without uttering a word. I can tell that Shino is giving me a scary look despite those circular sunglasses of his.

"Hinata invited me." I say, lying. Hinata didn't object, and it didn't look like she was going to. Our eyes meet, and I nudge her thigh slightly under the table; she gets the memo. I have no idea where it came from; it's not like he'd care that his mom invited me.

"K-Kiba-kun, sorry, um, I-I hope you don't mind-" She stops speaking when she sees Kiba's upset expression. "K-Kiba-kun! I'm-"

"Don't apologize, Hinata-chan. You didn't know." Kiba sighs, still ignoring me-which I do not mind since I kind of deserve it. "I just need a word with her outside." He looks at me expectantly, rising from his seat by the isle.

"You wanna talk to me?" I breathe in mild disbelief. "Now?"

"I said it, didn't I? Get up." He doesn't wait for me to stand before walking out of the eatery. He leans up against the wooden plank wall in the alley beside the joint, crossing his arms. I arrive a few seconds later, but he doesn't speak up.

"What do you want?" I ask, not hiding my irritation. "Go on."

"You know clear as day what I want."

"And that would be?"

He narrows his eyes, and I return the gesture. "Why the fuck are you here?"

"Watch the language, boy, I swear-"

"Shut it, Reikoku. Quit avoiding the question." He growls.

"It would be rude to turn down an invite, Inuzuka." I say, tilting my in innocence.

"Like you haven't been rude before." He counters, standing up straight.

"It's different," I say, leaving the alley, "because I actually like Hinata."

"You still going on with that lie?" He says, smirking. My eyes narrow instinctively as my legs cease movement, and my lips pull into a scowl. I won't face him...

"What do you mean?" I jab, growing tense. Don't tell me...

"My mom told me she would be invitng you. I begged her not to, but I knew she would anyway-that stubborn old woman..." I sigh to calm myself, but the overwhelming helplessness fights to be felt. I grind my teeth without a response and continue out of the alley.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going?" He growls, thrusting a hand onto my right shoulder. My feet stop in their tracks, and I refuse to turn around. I brush his hand off of my shoulder and reach into my bag. I shiver as my fingers brush a small box, and I reluctantly pull it out, tossing it behind me. Judging my the deft click of hands, I can assume he caught it.

"Back inside, what do you think?" I turn my head and see his perplexion. His eyes fall to the small, unwrapped box in his hands. Giving me a skeptical look, he pulls off the top, his face melting into a disgruntled scowl.

"It's empty!" He shouts, throwing the box back to me. "What the hell?"

"You shouldn't have expected anything from me." I resume leaving the alleyway to pace indoors, Kiba following behind me with a vexed expression. His incoherent mumbles sound like, 'you didnt havwe to get my hopes up.' We both sit back down in our respective seats, neither of us uttering a word.

"Is everything settled, Kiba?" The bug carrier spoke, his nasaly voice laced by subtle boredom.

"Nope, but we'll talk later." I say, giving Kiba a slight glare. Shino glances at me, frowning.

"I asked Kiba, not you." I narrow my eyes in irritation, receiving an emotionless stare from him.

"Yeah, yeah, Shino, we'll deal with it later." Kiba interjects, "But for now, let's just try to enjoy my birthday lunch. Deal?" Unsurprisingly, he aims his remarks at me.

I sigh, looking slightly to the side and flexing one side of my lips downward. "Fine."

We begin to cook our meat, putting disputes aside. "So how's it feel, big boy? Seventeen? You're old." I smirk, pulling simmered pork from the grill.

"It feels great , thank you very much." He emphasizes a bite into the meat, directing his gaze to Hinata. "Speaking of old, Hinata, how old is this 'I'm too shy to talk to Naruto' farce?"

Hinata looked like she was choking on her meat-with her face so red. "K-Kiba!"

"Quit being such a tease." I pout, acting protective of Hinata. I cross my arms in distaste; it isn't right for him to do that to her.

"I'm not teasing, I'm serious." He devours a hunk of meat and stares intently at the two of us.

"What do you know about love, Kiba? Leave her alone." I suddenly feel my tone strengthen.

"More than you, idiot. I know that I can't stand him being so dense and hurting Hinata's ego in the process." Kiba bites his lip in the heat of the moment, allowing that little canine tooth to poke through.

"I-I... He... H-He likes Sakura-san... I-I couldn't-"

"Sakura fake confessed to him to try to get him to give up on Saskue." He states bluntly, not wincing at Hinata's broken expression. "He could tell... He rejected her, Hinata-he rejected her." Hinata looks down, twiddling nervously with her thumbs. "Look at me, Hinata." Her pale eyes weakly trailed up until they met his sharp pair. "You confessed to him, too, right?"

"Y-Yes... But... H-He probably doesn't remember because he went into Kyuubi mode with six tails..."

"Six tails, Hinata-Six tails! Thats three away from nine! It takes emotion to do something like that-anger! He throught you had died! He obviously feels something for you if he went that far into his transformation to spite Pein over your supposed death!"

I'm not at all that surprised to hear about Naruto being the Nine-tailed Fox's jinchuriki; those whisker-like markings should've given it away. It only makes me feel a bit more connected to him-not like I have some kind of demon sealed inside of me, but because of our relations with foxes. Me being a jinchuriki would be way too cliché.

"Listen, Hinata. I'm not guaranteeing that he feels the same, but if you'd just talk to him more-nurture the relationship-I can guarantee he eventually will. Just don't give up; it's your nindo, too."

A warm feeling emerges from the depths of my stomach, rising to my heart until the rest of me feels like it is wrapped in a comfortable, soft blanket. A smile strangely finds its way to my lips, stretching a delicate curve to reveal a soft dimple in my left cheek. It feels true-like pure happiness in a simple expression-it felt pleasant and oh-so-very warm, and I don't even know what triggered it.

Hinata doesn't give an upfront answer, but just a good-natured nod. The rest of our conversations are less emotional, just small disputes,-usually between Kiba and I-simple small talk, and mission related things.

Shino generously pays for Team 8's expenses, and of course, he makes me pay my own-not that I expected him to treat me. I hug Hinata tightly after the meal and reluctantly say goodbye to Shino. The three of them separate after exiting the building, Hinata to the right, Shino to the left, and Kiba staying behind.

"There are some things that can't be communicated by words, but better conveyed by fists. I think that's the language we more openly communicate in, don't you think?" He leans against the glass of the resturant, crossing his arms against his chest.

"I think English is fine, too." I quip and lean shortly beside him, giving a wry smile. I put my hands behind me, craning forward to a good look at him.

"Too bad, we're sparring." He takes the lead, expecting me to follow. It was exactly what I wanted to hear. Smiling brighter with a slight giggle, I stumble after him and act reluctant.

"You really have a thing for sparring, don't you? Are you always so eager to spar?" I meander in his footsteps, just slowly enough to tick him off in the slightest.

"Yeah, I am, because it's fun." He doesn't notice the sardonic glare of mine boring into the back of his skull. What a classic answer he would give-so vague and so idiotic.

"You're so fucking stupid."

"Get over it, because you are, too."

"Excuse me?"

"Save it for the spar, Reikoku. Just shut up."

"Make me." I whisper, falling behind.

If a worse way to accidentally increase sexual tension exists, I probably could've said that and been better off.

"What was that?" He continues to walk, increasing his pace to quick run. I sigh and follow after him, sprinting to catch up. Upon arriving to the field, we spread to opposite sides of the sparring box and take our stances. I step sideways and bring my fists up to cover my face, just like I usually do. A nasty smile peaks from between my fists, a mocking, devilish glare interpreted from the soft curve of my thin lips, a pale fire, a calloused ice.

"Three," He begins the countdown with a look of boredom. I cletch my fists and narrow my eyes in resentment, curling my toes in anticipation of his first move. "Two," He shifts his right foot past his left, curling his body inward as if to juke a punch with his left fist. "One," A soft snarl rumbles in his throat, lips straightening into a pale line of focus. I bounce my weight from the balls of my feet-back and forth in effort to prepare myself for a fast start. I lean to my toes, bending forward slightly like a cougar about to pounce on prey. His lips part, a deafening noise shooting through the air. "Go!"

He presses forward, throwing a punch with his left hand and quick jolt on the right for more power. I ignore the first punch, knowing it is just a fake out, and go to block the left-carelessness forces me into a corner, and his left fist strikes my cheek. I scurry backwards to escape another punch, lifting my fists to my face once again. My blue eyes drawl across his face, examining with growing anger his expressionless face-breathing loud, lips pressed shut, and determined eyes greet me with terror. Since when did he get good enough to hit me on the first shot and not celebrate in the least afterward?

I growl and sidestep left, fists crossing my body as I advance in a zigzag pattern. With each step my pace increases, jolting like lighting cracks across the sky. By the time I reach him he picks up the pattern, so I hold left to throw him off. He catches my right fist, but my left grazes his cheek as he tries to dodge. He snarls and uses his knee to faulter my incoming kick. Feeling my momentum die, I tumble backwards, my locked shoulders popping my hands quickly off the ground, and land deftly. I take a sprinter's position and extend my legs with full force, springing up and toward him at an alarming rate. Left foot planted firmly on the soil, I wind up by leaning in forward and jolt backwards as I ram my right leg into his side. He is able to put his hands in the way as a shield, but it does him no aid; thus, he stumbles, clutching his stomach, as I follow through on the kick.

"That really hurt, dammit." He coughs, looking up.

I ignore him. I sprint forward at full speed and arm circle before jumping with one foot at a time. Body parallel to the ground and in a hollow position, I extend my arms. They find their way to his shoulders, and I arch my back to harness my own force to push myself up into a handstand above him. He freezes in utter confusion as I glance down, eyeing his face like a target. He squirms in effort to throw me off, but to no avail. I begin my dismount by releasing my left hand and twisting my body so that it faces the same way as his. As I fall feet first, I pike slightly to increase the speed and smite my feet into his back, sending him to the ground and me to my back. A wave of pain tingles through my nerves as my tailbone hits the earth's floor, but I can tell Kiba feels much worse.

He had taken the hit directly to the spine and had skidded on his face. He slowly peels himself from the rocks, but he doesn't stand. Neither do I.

"Man, ever since I met you my pain tolerance has been slowly climbing. Let's... call it a day." He rubs his back and sits to face me with dirtied, red cheeks and eyelids of mud. He wipes his face as I roll my eyes in annoyance, stifling an amused chuckle.

"Tch, and it was just getting good." I scoff in between heavy breaths, but I don't object. "Why is it that we-" Before I can finish, my vision falters with clouds of smoke, and my hearing buzzes with silence. My skin feels warped but returns to normal as I notice I am no longer at the training ground.

I'm... at the Kitsuyuki?

"Mikasu-it was a Reverse Summoning-extremely important matter-come with me." Mirami rambles quickly, galloping through two trees to the inside of the forest. I simply follow without questions until we reach the arctic fox residence and slip inside. She leads me through twists and turns and, finally, to a single, wide-open door.

"What is it? My god-what is it?" I ask. She frantically turns around and then glances at the other sullen foxes in the room-her elders and juniors alike.

"What's going on! You guys...?-" My eyes settle in the center of the room, on the melted ice of an empty pedestal.

"It's gone!" Mirami screams, her legs collapsing beneath her."The scroll-the forbidden jutsu scroll was stolen!"


End file.
